THE CELL

CYCLE AND
CANCER
 Ted Talk: The Immortal Cells of Henrietta Lacks

Pre-viewing
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The forms promote transparency and accountability in
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1. D All of these
2. B HPV
3. C HeLa cells spread easily and
can infect other cell lines
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4. A. Immortalization- Normal cells have a
limited lifespan and undergo programmed
cell death after a certain number of
divisions. Cancer cells, however, have
bypassed this limitation. They express
telomerase, an enzyme that prevents the
shortening of telomeres during cell division.
This allows cancer cells to divide indefinitely,
essentially becoming immortal.
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4. B Apoptosis is a natural and controlled

process of cell death that removes
damaged or unnecessary cells. Cancer
cells often develop resistance to
apoptotic signals.
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4. C Angiogenesis- Cancer cells need a
constant supply of nutrients and oxygen
to sustain their rapid growth. They induce
the formation of new blood vessels to
provide these crucial resources. This
ability allows cancer cells to overcome
the limitations of existing blood vessels
and establish a network that supports
their growth and spread.
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5. HeLa cells are invaluable for studying human
diseases because they provide a readily available
and easily grown model of human cells. HeLa cells
are also highly adaptable and can be manipulated
to study various diseases and treatments. They
have contributed to significant breakthroughs in
cancer research, viral infections, and drug
development. Ultimately, HeLa cells are a vital tool
for advancing our understanding of human health
and disease.
 Post-Viewing
It is undeniably unethical by today's standards. Taking Henrietta
Lacks' cells without her consent was a clear violation of her bodily
autonomy and privacy. The lack of informed consent and the
family's subsequent unawareness of the extensive use of HeLa
cells highlight a significant ethical lapse. While the lack of profit
motive might mitigate some culpability, it doesn't excuse the
fundamental disregard for Henrietta Lacks' rights. Such a
situation would be far less likely to occur today due to stricter
regulations regarding informed consent and the ethical use of
human biological materials in research. Increased awareness of
patient rights and stronger oversight mechanisms would prevent
a similar scenario.
 WORLD BANK
Factor that Causes Evidence from the
Image Cancer News Alert
Chimney I can conclude that radon gas from
chimneys can cause lung cancer
Chemical Poison because news reports have linked
elevated radon levels in homes to
increased lung cancer rates.

Based on a strong family history of

Family Tree cancer suggests a genetic
Genetic Offspring predisposition, making some individuals
more susceptible to developing the
Your family History disease. I think Genetic mutations
passed down through generations can
increase the risk of various cancers.
 WORLD BANK
Factor that Causes Evidence from the
Image Cancer News Alert
X-ray
I know that According to one study, by the
age of 75 years, X-rays will increase the risk
of cancer by 0.6 to 1.8 percent . In other

Radiation Exposure
words, the risks are minimal compared to
the benefits of medical imaging. Each
procedure has a different associated risk
that depends on the type of X-ray and the
part of the body being imaged.

I think that Ultraviolet (UV) radiation

Tanning from sunlight and tanning beds is a major

UV light cause of skin cancer. News reports

regularly emphasize the importance of
sun protection (sunscreen, protective
clothing, limiting sun exposure) to reduce
skin cancer risk.
 Resource #1
Cancer involves uncontrolled
cell growth and division,
leading to tumor formation
and potential metastasis.
 Resource #2
Cell division normally is a tightly
regulated process ensuring accurate DNA
replication and controlled cell
proliferation.
 Resource #3
Cell cycle regulation is
accomplished by a series of
checkpoints and signaling
pathways that control the
progression through the cell cycle
phases.
 Resource #4
Cancer-causing agents often damage
DNA, disrupt cell cycle regulation, or
promote uncontrolled cell growth.
 Resource #5
When damage occurs to genes that
regulate the cell cycle it can lead to
uncontrolled cell division and the
development of cancer.
The rate and timing of cell division in your body normally are very precisely
regulated. Cells are formed, mature, and eventually die. As this happens, new
cells divide, creating replacement cells. Chemical messengers that pass
between neighboring cells help keep the rate of cell division equal to the rate
of cell death. Sometimes, a cell breaks free from its normal restraints and
begins to follow its own pattern of cell division. This pre-cancerous cell
divides more often than normal,eventually producing a mass of cells that also
divide more often.
Further changes in these cells can increase the frequency of cell
division even more, until eventually a cancerous tumor develops. At this
point, the tumor grows large but is confined to the tissue where it originated.
Late in the development of cancer, some cells may gain the ability to move
into blood vessels and travel to other parts of the body.
For many years, it was a mystery to scientists how cells controlled their cell division.
Scientists now know that the chemical messages that cells receive from neighboring cells
affect a complicated group of molecules in the cell. These molecules are called the cell
cycle clock. The cell
cycle clock integrates the mixture of signals the cell receives from its neighbors and
determines whether the cell should move through each stage of growth and division. If the
answer is yes, the cell grows and
divides. The cell cycle is composed of four phases. In the G1 phase, the
cell increases in size and prepares to copy its DNA. Once all the
necessary molecules are made, the clock moves the cell to the S phase called S for
"synthesis."This is when the cell copies its DNA. After the DNA is copied, a second gap
phase called G2 occurs, and then the cell divides. The phase in which the cell divides is
called M, for mitosis.
The new daughter cells immediately enter G1. Depending on the
signals they receive from neighboring cells and the decisions their cell
cycle clocks make, they may go through the cell cycle again or stop
cycling temporarily or permanently. Thus, in normal tissues, cell
growth and division is precisely controlled by internal clocks.
Two types of genes play a major role in regulating the cell
cycle. Genes called proto-oncogenes encourage cell
division. Proteins produced by genes act like
accelerators, stimulating the cell to grow and divide.
In contrast, genes called tumor suppressor genes
inhibit cell division. Proteins produced by these genes
act like brakes to slow down or stop cell division. The
balance between the activities of proto-oncogenes and
tumor suppressor genes keeps normal cells dividing at a
rate that is appropriate for their position and role in the
body.
An important milestone in scientists' efforts to understand
cancer came in the 1970s when it was shown that many
cancer-causing agents also are able to cause changes in
DNA that we call mutations. In fact, research showed that in many
cases, chemicals that are powerful cancer-causing agents also are
powerful mutagens. Mutagens are agents that produce mutations. It
was found in a study that
chemicals that had only a weak ability to stimulate the
development of cancer, were also considered weak
mutagens. We now know that some cancer-causing agents
do not fit this simple pattern but the fact that many
cancer-causing agents also cause mutations gave scientists an
important clue about what might cause cells to become cancerous.
Normal cell division in the body depends on a precisely regulated
set of events that determine when a cell will divide and when it will not divide.
Two types of genes, called proto-oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes, are
responsible for this regulation.
When mutated, however, proto-oncogenes can become what
scientists call "oncogenes", genes that stimulate excessive division.
This situation is similar to getting a car's accelerator stuck in the
downward position. A cell that experiences such mutations tends to divide more
frequently than it normally would. In contrast, mutated tumor suppressor genes
can become inactive. A cell that
experiences a mutation in a tumor suppressor gene loses some of its crucial
breaking power. Again, the result is a tendency for the cell to divide more
frequently than it normally would. For a cancerous tumor to develop, mutations
must occur in several of the cells
division controlling genes. These mutations disturb the balance that
normally exist between signals that stimulate cell division and
signals that inhibit cell division. The result is uncontrolled division.
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HAVE QUESTIONS?
THANK
YOU