Experiment 3: The Importance of Cell Cycle Control Some environmental factors ca

Question

Experiment 3: The Importance of Cell Cycle Control Some environmental factors can cause genetic mutations which result in a lack of proper cell cycle control (mitosis). When this happens, the possibility for uncontrolled cell growth occurs. In some instances, uncontrolled growth can lead to tumors, which are often associated with cancer, or other biological diseases. In this experiment, you will review some of the karyotypic differences which can be observed when comparing normal, controlled cell growth and abnormal, uncontrolled cell growth. A karyotype is an image of the complete set of diploid chromosomes in a single cell. Materials *Computer Access *Internet Access *You Must Provide Procedure 1. Begin by constructing a hypothesis to explain what differences you might observe when comparing the karyotypes of human cells which experience normal cell cycle control versus cancerous cells (which experience abnormal, or a lack of, cell cycle control). Record your hypothesis in Post-Lab Question 1. Note: Be sure to include what you expect to observe, and why you think you will observe these features. Think about what you know about cancerous cell growth to help construct this information 2. Go online to find some images of abnormal karyotypes, and normal karyotypes. The best results will come from search terms such as “abnormal karyotype”, “HeLa cells”, “normal karyotype”, “abnormal chromosomes”, etc. Be sure to use dependable resources which have been peer-reviewed 3. Identify at least five abnormalities in the abnormal images. Then, list and draw each image in the Data section at the end of this experiment. Do these abnormalities agree with your original hypothesis? Hint: It may be helpful to count the number of chromosomes, count the number of pairs, compare the sizes of homologous chromosomes, look for any missing or additional genetic markers/flags, etc. Data 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Explanation / Answer

1. The normal human cell contains 46 chromosomes. Any deviation from this number is known as aneuloploidy (abnormal chromosomal number). Chromosomal deletions, translocations, duplications and inversions are the four common mechanisms that change cell karyotype and may turn them into cancerous. For example, a chromosomal deletion may change the chromosomal number into 45 or duplication may change the number into 47, etc. These mutations may contribute to the uncontrolled proliferation of cells, which is characteristic of cancer cells.

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