The Eukaryotic Cell Cycle and Cancer Overview

Click & Learn Student Worksheet

INTRODUCTION
This handout complements the Click & Learn The Eukaryotic Cell Cycle and Cancer HYPERLINK
"[Link] and is
intended as a straightforward introduction to the cell cycle and how it relates to cancer. For a
more comprehensive student handout, please see the in-depth version.

PROCEDURE
Follow the instructions as you proceed through the Click & Learn and answer the questions in the
spaces below.

Click on the “Background” tab on the right side. Read the information and watch the videos.
• Why is cell division important for both single-celled and multicellular organisms?
Because cell division is the only way single-celled organisms can reproduce, and multicellular
organisms need cell division to grow and to replace dead or damaged cells.

• Why does cell division remain important to an adult organism even after it is fully developed? After
growth, division remains important in normal cell turnover. Because it is in our skin and gut where
cells are renewed, also, cell division helps to heal wounds or broken bones.

• Cells divide, differentiate, or die. What is differentiation? It is when cells divide to create two
identical daugther cells, then, cells stop dividing to specialize in structure and function.

• What is apoptosis? What is its purpose?

• What are cell cycle regulators? Cell regulators are proteins that control the progression of a cell
through the cell cycle and can either stimulate or inhibit cell cycle progression.

• What happens if cell cycle regulators don’t function properly? Cells replicate indefinitely and form
tumors (cancer).

Click on the purple section labeled “Cell Cycle Phases” as well as the words “Mitosis” and
“Interphase” to read an overview of the cell cycle. You can also click on the various phases.
• Cells go through periods of growth and division. Cell division occurs during mitosis.
The rest of the cell cycle is called interphase, during which a cell grows and replicates its DNA.
 Click & Learn
The Eukaryotic Cell Cycle and Cancer – Overview Student
Worksheet
• Fill in the details about what happens during the three phases of interphase labeled in the diagram.
• In general, what is the purpose of a checkpoint in the cell cycle? The purpose is to tell what needs
to happen after that cycle, it says what needs to be done to go to the other phase.

• What is the G0 phase of the cell cycle? When a cell "exits" the cell cycle when it receives a signal to
differentiate, or when resources are insufficient to grow or divide (a resting or non-dividing stage).
• Which factors determine whether a cell enters G0? If there are not enough resources for
the cell to keep growing or divide.

• Can cells leave G0? Yes, when there are injuries in some tissues, the cells leave G0 to
reenter the cell cycle to divide.

Click on “Cell Cycle Regulators and Cancer” in the center purple circle. Read the “Regulators
Overview” and then read through the “Cancer Overview” and watch the videos.
• What are cell cycle regulators? proteins that control the progression of a cell through the cell cycle
and can either stimulate or inhibit cell cycle progression.

• Stimulating proteins are encoded by proto-oncogenes . Examples

include: when proteins activate CDK-cyclin complexes
• Inhibitory proteins are encoded by tumor suppressor genes .

Examples include: inactivate CDK-cyclins or prevent the activation of CDK-cyclin complexes

Click & Learn

The Eukaryotic Cell Cycle and Cancer – Overview Student
Worksheet
Cancer is the result of an improperly regulated cell cycle. Describe two reasons why cells can form
tumors. Mutations in these genes(proto-oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes) can lead to cancer and
improperly regulated cell cycle. ( Too much cell division and too little cell death).

• In some types of colon cancer, stem cells have a mutation in the APC gene. What happens if the
APC gene is mutated? The cells that have that mutation will have troubles to make it to the final
stage of differentiation and will start to pile up and form a tumor.

• Normally, proto-oncogenes stimulate the cell cycle. What are oncogenes and how do they
affect the cell cycle? Oncogenes are mutated versions of the genes proto-oncogenes.
Oncogenes are analogous to putting the foot on the accelerator increasing stimulation(In
simple words, it increases stimulation in the cell cycle).
 • To cause cancer, proto-oncogenes require one allele(s) to be mutated and
therefore are considered dominant . The mutation results in a gain of
function.
Normally, tumor suppressor genes inhibit the cell cycle. How do mutated tumor suppressor genes affect
the cell cycle? Tumor suppressor genes produce proteins that normally inhibit the cell cycle. Mutations
in these genes can cause a loss of inhibition, which is similar to taking the foot off the brake. Both types
of mutations lead to uncontrolled cell division.

• To cause cancer, tumor suppressor genes require both allele(s) to be mutated and
therefore are considered recessive . The mutation results in a loss of function.