- "The Cell Cycle and Cancer Lab"
I. Purpose
The purpose of this cell cycle and cancer lab is to check and learn the similarities and differences between a cell affected by cancer and a regular cell as well as the effects in the cell cycle in both of the cells.
Use reference link to virtual lab about the cell cycle and cancer here>
Use reference link to virtual lab about the cell cycle and cancer here>
TII. Background (Extra Credit)
The significance of this lab is to explore and see the difference effects of the cell cycle in normal cells and cancer cells,as well as the growth factors that encourage cells to divide which leads to an unregulated cell cycle and cells dividing without control. Also, learn how dangerous it can be sometimes developing mutations and even tumors,when this happens the proteins are not working as they're supposed to be normally to control the cell cycle.The main purpose of the lab is to see the differences and similarities between the cell cycles of a normal cell tissue and a cancerous one with different number of phases undergoing because not a regular cycle is going when it has cancer. Another important fact that this lab is helping learn is to compare and contrast how cancer cells don't die or have a certain time to stop dividing because they lose the capacity of cell death and cancer interferes with the normal process of cell cycle causing a disorder with the phases and the malfunctioning of the regulatory process. The effect of a cell with uncontrolled cell division and a cycle malfunctioned not going correctly as normal cells ends up with defects on the cell cycle and can lead to mutations and tumors in a normal cell making it a cancerous tissue. Normal cells respond to the signals send to them in order to slow down or stop the cell division,cancer cells don't respond to the signals and they keep growing making cancerous tissues.
III. Hypothesis
Use format as used in Mitosis Experimental Design>
I believe cancer cell tissues will look a lot more different than regular cell tissues by having an uncontrolled cell cycle and having the phases of the cell cycle all disorder and not going regularly as they are supposed to undergo in normal cells. Cancerous tissue cells will have more cells dividing and the cell cycle malfunctioning having less interphase undergoing and uncontrolled cellular grow because cancer cells don't stop growing when there are enough cells present. If my hypothesis is true I'll see growth factor proteins continue to be producing and as a result cells continue to grow and in response more percent of cancer tissue cells will be dividing than the normal ones.
I believe cancer cell tissues will look a lot more different than regular cell tissues by having an uncontrolled cell cycle and having the phases of the cell cycle all disorder and not going regularly as they are supposed to undergo in normal cells. Cancerous tissue cells will have more cells dividing and the cell cycle malfunctioning having less interphase undergoing and uncontrolled cellular grow because cancer cells don't stop growing when there are enough cells present. If my hypothesis is true I'll see growth factor proteins continue to be producing and as a result cells continue to grow and in response more percent of cancer tissue cells will be dividing than the normal ones.
IV. Materials (Virtual Lab Online)
- Cancerous Ovary Tissue Sample on Slide with Cover Slip
- Normal Ovary Tissue Sample on Slide with Cover Slip
- Cancerous Lung Tissue Sample on Slide with Cover Slip
- Normal Lung Tissue Sample on Slide with Cover Slip
- Cancerous Stomach Tissue Sample on Slide with Cover Slip
- Normal Stomach Tissue Sample on Slide with Cover Slip
- Microscope
V. Procedure
- Click at the TV to watch a very helpful review to learn more about the Cell Cycle.
- After that click at the button that says "Information" to understand and learn more background about Cancer.
- Now you are ready to click at the microscope to be able to watch the differences and similarities between cancer tissue cells and normal tissue cells and the phases of mitosis.
- Next, click at the different labels of the mitosis phases,which are the following:Interphase,Prophase,Metaphase,Anaphase and Telophase drag them to the corresponding cell image.
- Collect data by counting how many cells in each phase of mitosis and record them by clicking on the data table,after knowing how many cells per each phase calculate the percentages asked at the end of the table.
- At the end click at the journal image at the bottom and respond all three questions about the cell cycle and cancer lab.
VI. Data
VII. Journal Questions
Answer three 'Journal' questions in complete sentences here; be thorough in explanations, answer all parts and be sure to explain. Questions given below. Please do not submit through virtual lab web site.
- When studying cell division in tissue samples, scientists often calculate a mitotic index, which is the ratio of dividing cells to the total number of cells in the sample. Which type of tissue would have a higher mitotic index, normal tissue or cancerous tissue? Explain.
- Different types of normal tissues in the human body have different mitotic indices. From the following list, which normal tissues would you expect to have the highest mitotic index: muscle, skin, kidney, or lung? Explain your answer.
VIII. Conclusion
formal laboratory report guidelines>
After being done with all the cell cycle and cancer lab I can conclude that as said in my hypothesis at the beginning and which has been proven, normal cells respond to the signals send to them in order to slow down or stop the cell division,cancer cells don't respond to the signals and they keep growing making cancerous tissues and resulting in uncontrolled cell division which is very different from normal cells that have a certain time to stop dividing and a regular cell cycle. I learned that a greater percentage of cells dividing result in cancerous cells tissues than in normal cells tissues and that the percentage of cells at rest is greater at normal cells because they’re not dividing without control. The deductions that I can make is that my predictions were true and I was thinking the right way, and that there’s a lot of causes of why the cells in cancer tissues don’t stop dividing. I also learned that tumors and mutations can happen because of non stop cell division and that it can be very dangerous even can end up in death.
After being done with all the cell cycle and cancer lab I can conclude that as said in my hypothesis at the beginning and which has been proven, normal cells respond to the signals send to them in order to slow down or stop the cell division,cancer cells don't respond to the signals and they keep growing making cancerous tissues and resulting in uncontrolled cell division which is very different from normal cells that have a certain time to stop dividing and a regular cell cycle. I learned that a greater percentage of cells dividing result in cancerous cells tissues than in normal cells tissues and that the percentage of cells at rest is greater at normal cells because they’re not dividing without control. The deductions that I can make is that my predictions were true and I was thinking the right way, and that there’s a lot of causes of why the cells in cancer tissues don’t stop dividing. I also learned that tumors and mutations can happen because of non stop cell division and that it can be very dangerous even can end up in death.