Exercises: Cell Differentiation and Cancer
Define cell differentiation*. Then name one example of a specialized cell in an animal and state its function.
Define cell differentiation. Then name one example of a specialized cell in an animal and state its function.
A human skin cell and a human nerve cell contain the same DNA, yet they look and work very differently. State in one or two sentences what makes the two cells different…
A human skin cell and a human nerve cell contain the same DNA, yet they look and work very differently. State in one or two sentences what makes the two cells different from each other.
Name the process in which a cell divides without the normal controls and forms a mass of cells called a tumor. State whether a malignant tumor or a benign tumor can…
Name the process in which a cell divides without the normal controls and forms a mass of cells called a tumor. State whether a malignant tumor or a benign tumor can spread to other parts of the body.
All the cells in a developing embryo come from one fertilized egg. Explain how these cells can become muscle, blood, and nerve cells even though they share the same…
All the cells in a developing embryo come from one fertilized egg. Explain how these cells can become muscle, blood, and nerve cells even though they share the same genome. Include the role of gene expression in your explanation.
Scientists studying a frog embryo find that cells close to a certain group of signaling cells become tissue of one type, while cells farther away become another type.…
Scientists studying a frog embryo find that cells close to a certain group of signaling cells become tissue of one type, while cells farther away become another type. Explain how an environmental factor, such as a chemical signal from neighboring cells, can influence which type a cell becomes. Give one other environmental factor that can affect differentiation.
The cell cycle has checkpoints that check for DNA damage before a cell divides. A mutation disables a protein that normally stops the cycle at a checkpoint when DNA is…
The cell cycle has checkpoints that check for DNA damage before a cell divides. A mutation disables a protein that normally stops the cycle at a checkpoint when DNA is damaged. (a) Explain what is likely to happen to cells that carry this mutation and keep dividing with damaged DNA. (b) Explain how this could lead to cancer.
A researcher compares two tissue samples from the same patient and records the following. | Feature | Sample A (normal skin) | Sample B (tumor) | |---|---|---| | Time to…
A researcher compares two tissue samples from the same patient and records the following.
| Feature | Sample A (normal skin) | Sample B (tumor) |
|---|---|---|
| Time to complete one cell cycle | 24 hours | 10 hours |
| Cells stop dividing when touching neighbors | Yes | No |
| Cells have specialized shape and function | Yes | Few |
| Cells found in nearby tissues | No | Yes |
Using the data, analyze how Sample B shows disruption of the cell cycle and of differentiation. Explain how each feature in the table relates to the idea that cancer is uncontrolled cell division, and predict whether Sample B is more likely benign or malignant. Justify your prediction.
Sofia reads that some cancers are linked to ultraviolet (UV) radiation and others to certain viruses. Write a claim-evidence-reasoning (CER) response that answers this…
Sofia reads that some cancers are linked to ultraviolet (UV) radiation and others to certain viruses. Write a claim-evidence-reasoning (CER) response that answers this question: How can very different causes lead to the same disease, cancer? Your reasoning should connect mutations in genes that control the cell cycle, loss of normal differentiation, and the role of the immune system in finding and removing abnormal cells.