BIOL 241, Section 0629.

77 Winter 2015

Homework due January 21, 2015 at 8pm – KEY

Answers read and graded: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, 26, 27.

1. Cell division is how unicellular organisms reproduce. Multicellular organisms don’t

reproduce in this way, but use cell division to become larger and generate lots of
specialized cells.

2. Production of new cells is needed to replace worn-out or damaged cells. This is true
both for unexpected injuries such as skin cuts and the constant wear and tear to which,
say, skin and gut cells are subjected.

3. Growth factors tell cells to divide.

4. Differentiation is the process by which cells become specialized for carrying out certain
functions.

5. Apoptosis is a form of planned cell death. It “eliminates unnecessary cells during

development and removes unhealthy or damaged cells in the mature organism.”

6. Cell cycle regulators accelerate or slow down the cell cycle. They can also cause cells to
exit the cell cycle and differentiate or die.

7. Cell Division: at the bottom of the villus (in the crypt); Cell Differentiation: along the
sides of the villus; Apoptosis: at the top of the villus

8. Hair loss

9. Growth of warts

10. (a) growth – G1, (b) DNA replication – S, (c) preparation to divide – G2, (d) division – M

11. Checkpoints are points at which the cells determine whether they are ready to move on
to the next phase of the cell cycle.

12. Unregulated cell growth and division, as occurs in cancer.

13. Stimulating proteins

14. Inhibitory proteins

15. Cyclin-dependent kinases

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BIOL 241, Section 0629.77 Winter 2015

16. Kinases are enzymes. Thus they catalyze chemical reactions – specifically the addition of
phosphate groups to other molecules (usually proteins).

17. CDKs are present throughout the cell cycle.

18. According to the website, the concentrations of cyclins rise and fall throughout the cell
cycle. This implies that they never disappear entirely.

19. Activated CDK-cyclin complexes promote progression to the next phase of the cell cycle.

PHASE PHASE EVENTS CHECKPOINT EVENTS REGULATORY PROCESSES

G1 The cell grows and prepares
to replicate its DNA.
S The cell replicates its DNA.
G2 The cell continues to grow
and prepares to divide.
M The cell divides into two
daughter cells.
The cell determines whether its
DNA is undamaged and
whether it has adequate
resources to continue growing
and dividing.
The cell checks whether errors
were made during DNA
replication.
The cell checks for a complete
set of undamaged
chromosomes and for
adequate organelles and other
materials to form two daughter
cells.
The cell confirms that all
chromosomes are attached to
the mitotic spindle.
Stimulating: Growth factors
lead to rise in G1-phase cyclin
levels.
Inhibiting: p53 inhibits cyclin-
activated CDKs if DNA is
damaged. Rb prevents entry
into S phase unless growth
factors are present.
Stimulating: Growth factors
lead to a rise in S-phase
cyclin-activated CDKs.
Inhibiting: Breaks in DNA
strands cause the ATM
protein to stop the cell cycle
and trigger repair processes.
Stimulating: The
concentration of M-phase
cyclins rises.
Inhibiting: If DNA is damaged,
p53 stops the cell cycle until
the damage is reversed.
Stimulating: Cyclin-activated
CDKs activate the APC/C
protein complex, which then
allows chromatids to move
toward opposite poles of the
cell.
Inhibiting: If chromosome
attachment to the mitotic
spindle is defective, MAD
proteins inhibit APC/C.

20. Interphase includes phases G1, S, and G2. Cells grow and replicate their DNA during
these phases.

21. “The organism’s stage in development, the type of cell, and the resources available.”

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BIOL 241, Section 0629.77 Winter 2015

22. (a) neurons and muscle cells; (b) liver cells

23. Too much cell division or too little cell death

24. Uncontrolled cell division is caused by mutations in genes that usually regulate the cell
cycle.

25. If the APC gene is mutated, cells fail to finish differentiating, and instead keep dividing,
eventually forming a tumor.

26. Uncontrolled cell division and cancer

27. Uncontrolled cell division and cancer

28. To cause cancer, proto-oncogenes require 1 allele to be mutated and are therefore
considered dominant. This results in gain of function.

29. To cause cancer, tumor suppressor genes require 2 alleles to be mutated and are
therefore considered recessive. This results in loss of function.

30. (a) A proto-oncogene is like a gas pedal operating normally: it moves the cell cycle
ahead, within normal “speed limits.” When it mutates into an oncogene, it’s as though
the gas pedal has been pressed too hard, and the cell cycle proceeds faster than it
should. (b) Each tumor suppressor gene allele serves as a sort of brake pedal; as long as
at least one of them is operational, the cell cycle will be kept under control. If both are
mutated, then this brake is lost and the cell cycle speeds along, out of control.