GENERAL BIOLOGY I

Name of Learner: _______________________________ Grade Level: ___________

Section: ___________________________________ Date: _________________

LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEET

DISORDERS AND DISEASES: CELL CYCLE

BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOR LEARNERS

Did you know that our body is made up of trillions of tiny building blocks called cells
that come together to form complex tissues and organs? Tissues and organs grow and repair
through cell division where a single parent cell divides to produce two identical daughter cells.
Deoxyribonucleic Acid provides the chemical instruction manual or the blueprint for cell
division. Each cell contains six feet of DNA and it will be broken into 46 distinct packages of
information. And every time a cell divides it must copy all these information and then deliver an
identical set of DNA to each one of its daughter cells. But glitches in that process can give birth
to abnormal cells that misbehaves and fuel the development of diseases like cancer. Come on, let
us investigate the mechanisms how errors in cell division leads to human disease.

LEARNING COMPETENCY

 Identify disorders and diseases that result from the malfunction of the cell during the cell cycle
(1 QUARTER, WEEK 5, STEM_BIO11/12-Id-f-9)

LEARNING ACTIVITY 1
MISTAKES IN CELL DIVISION
Directions: Read the selection below about mistakes in cell division and answer
questions that follow
Mistakes during cell division frequently generate changes in
chromosome content. Errors in cell division can be categorized into the
following:

A. Nondisjunction. This happens when the sister chromatids fail to

separate. One cell is given three copies (trisomy) of a chromosome while the
other gets only one (monosomy). Nondisjunction causes errors in chromosome
number such as Trisomy 21 (Down Syndrome) and monosomy X (Turner
syndrome. It is also common cause of early spontaneous abortions.
Chromosome Nondisjunction
https://www.sciencedirect.com

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B. Deletion. Sometimes during mitosis, the the fragments can be lost. If this
chromosomes can be damaged. If the chromosomes gets broken happens the genetic material,
they contain is deleted. Deletions are responsible for an array of
genetic disorders, including some cases of male infertility,
Duchene muscular dystrophy and cystic fibrosis, and spinal
muscular atrophy, the most common genetic cause of infant
death. Symptoms of spinal muscular atrophy includes muscle
weakness and decreased muscle tone, limited mobility,
breathing problems, delayed gross motor skills and scoliosis.

C. Duplication. In chromosomal duplications, extra copies https://www.sciencedirect.com

of a chromosomal region are formed, resulting in different copy
numbers of genes within that area of the chromosome.
Duplications may affect phenotype by altering gene dosage.
Example of a disease resulting from chromosomal duplication is
the Charcot-Marie Tooth disease type. It is one of the most
common inherited nerve disorder characterized by a progressive
loss of muscle tissue and touch sensation across various parts of
the body, from the arms, legs to the spinal cord and brain.

https://www.sciencedirect.com

D. Translocation. If the chromosome breaks, it can reattach. Sometimes it reattaches to the

wrong chromosome. In reciprocal translocation, segments from two different chromosomes are
exchanged while in Robertsonian translocation, an entire chromosome attaches to another.
Translocations generate novel chromosomes but are often linked to disorders like infertility and
cancer. Several forms of cancer are caused by acquired translocations which has been described
mainly in leukemia. Chromosomal translocation can also result to infertility in which one of the
would-be parents carries a balanced translocation, where the parents are asymptomatic but conceived
fetuses are not viable.

https://www.sciencedirect.com

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 E. Inversion. When the fragment gets reattached, it
gets reattached to the right chromosome but upside down.
When this happens, it gives incorrect codes for information.
In some cases, chromosomal inversion has been associated
with congenital anomalies, growth retardation, infertility,
recurrent pregnancy loss, and cancer.

Chromosomal inversion
https://www.sciencedirect.com

STOPOVER

Directions: Answer the following questions comprehensively.

1. In cancer cells, karyotype analysis shows the specific arrangement of

chromosomes. Often, as cancer cells divide uncontrollably, the number of
chromosomes becomes deranged. In which of the stages of mitosis is a non-
disjunction most likely to occur? Explain and justify your answer.
Write your answers here

2. Something goes wrong during meiosis in a male and the four daughter sperm cells
that are produced all have the wrong amount of chromosomes. Two of the sperm
have one extra chromosome and the other two have one missing chromosome. At
what step did the problem most likely occur, and what was it?

Write your answers here

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 LEARNING ACTIVITY 2
DISEASES CAUSED BY MITOTIC ERRORS

Read the selection below about diseases causes by errors in mitotic cell division and answer
the questions that follow

Mitosis is a process where a single cell divides into two identical daughter cells (cell
division). During mitosis one cell divides once to form two identical cells. The major purpose of
mitosis is for growth and to replace worn out cells. If not corrected in time, mistakes made
during mitosis can result in changes in the DNA that can potentially lead to genetic disorders.

Although errors in mitosis are rare, the process may go wrong especially during early
cellular divisions in the zygote. Mitotic errors can be especially dangerous to the organism
because future offspring from this parent cell will carry the same disorder such as the following:

Cancer. The Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA), sometimes called a genetic blueprint,

contains the hereditary material in nearly all organisms. The improper copying of DNA produces
two types of errors, or mutations. Silent mutations have no impact on the DNA sequence, but
missense mutations, which alter amino acid sequences, often impact the associated function.
Missense mutations can multiply over time, leading to cell cycle disruption and the formation of
tumors, which are the product of runaway cell reproduction. Cancer occurs when mutated cells
ignore or override the normal "checkpoints" regulating mitosis and begin to reproduce
uncontrollably.

Hemophilia. It is a blood-clotting disorder which is linked to what geneticist refer to as

Mosaicism, wherein some cells may have a mutant version of a gene while others have the
normal version of the same gene.

Marfan syndrome. It is a genetic disorder that affects the body’s connective tissue.
Connective tissue holds all the body’s cells, organs and tissue together. It also plays an important role
in helping the body grow and develop properly. Connective tissue is made up of proteins. The protein
that plays a role in Marfan syndrome is called fibrillin-1. Marfan syndrome is caused by a defect (or
mutation) in the gene that tells the body how to make fibrillin-1. This mutation results in an increase
in a protein called transforming growth factor beta, or TGF-β. The increase in TGF-
β causes problems in connective tissues throughout the body, which in turn creates the features
and medical problems associated with Marfan syndrome and some related conditions. Because
connective tissue is found throughout the body, Marfan syndrome can affect many different parts
of the body, as well. Features of the disorder are most often found in the heart, blood vessels,
bones, joints, and eyes. Some Marfan features – for example, aortic enlargement (expansion of
the main blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart to the rest of the body) – can be life-
threatening. The lungs, skin and nervous system may also be affected. Marfan syndrome does
not affect intelligence. (Source: What Happens When Mitosis Goes Wrong. Retrieved from
https://sciencing.com/happens-mitosis-goes-wrong-8400.html JUne 7, 2020)

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 STOPOVER

Directions: Answer the following questions comprehensively.

1. What is a genetic disorder?

Write your answers here

2. Can cells be able to fix mistakes in the DNA replication? Explain your answer.

Write your answers here

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 LEARNING ACTIVITY 3
DISEASES/DISORDERS FROM ERRORS DURING MEIOSIS

Read the selection below about diseases caused by errors during meiosis and
answer the questions that follow
Meiosis is the process in which sex cells divide and create new sex cells with half the
number of chromosomes. When something goes wrong during meiosis, the mistake often
happens during replication of DNA. If a sex cell that has suffered a nondisjunction event is
combined with a sex cell from the opposite sex, the resulting zygote will have more or less than
46 chromosomes. This means that when that baby is born, it will have more or less than 46
chromosomes. This person will also have either too many or too few genes. Scientists refer to the
condition whereby cells have an incorrect number of chromosome as aneuploidy. If one of the
original cells had an extra chromosome, the person will have trisomy. People with trisomies have
three copies of a particular chromosome (instead of two). This means these individuals have a
total of 47 chromosomes (n+1). Trisomy 21. This is also called Down syndrome. Children with
Trisomy 21 may experience delays when learning to crawl, walk and speak. As they get older,
they may have trouble with reasoning and understanding. Two other examples are Trisomy 13
(Patau syndrome) and Trisomy 18 (Edward’s syndrome). They can both cause serious brain,
heart and spinal cord defects. Many babies born with these syndromes only live a few days.

In a female fetus, an extra X chromosome causes Triple X syndrome. It is associated with

learning disabilities and organ abnormalities. In a male fetus, Klinefelter syndrome is the result
of an extra X chromosome (XXY). Males with this condition have smaller testicles and are
infertile. Finally, males born with an extra Y chromosome (XYY) have Jacob’s syndrome. The
symptoms include language difficulties, problems with sitting and walking, and behavioural-
emotional issues. People with an extra Y chromosome may also have mild autism and weak
muscle tone (hypotonia).
A woman age 35 years old or older is at higher risk of having a baby with a chromosomal
abnormality. This is because errors in meiosis may be more likely to happen as a result of the
aging process. Women are born with all of their eggs already in their ovaries. The eggs begin to
mature during puberty. If a woman is 35 years old, the eggs in the ovaries are also 35 years old.
You may be referred for genetic counselling or testing if you are age 35 or older when you are
pregnant. Men make new sperm continuously so age does not increase the risk for chromosome
abnormalities for older fathers but newer studies suggest that rare abnormalities do occur.

DID YOU KNOW? Almost 6% of all babies are born with some form of genetic disorder.
Worldwide, that’s about 8 million babies every year. (https://letstalkscience.ca/educational-
resources/stem-in-context/meiosis-mistakes)

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 STOPOVER

Directions: Answer the following questions comprehensively.

1. Explain why parents that do not have Down syndrome can have a child with Down syndrome?

Write your answers here

2. Explain the risks of a woman conceiving at age 35 or older. When do you think is the best age
to conceive.
.

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 RUBRICS FOR SCORING
Rubrics for Written Responses in Activity 1, 2 and 3
Score
Criteria
5 4 3 2
Writing is coherent
Writing is coherent
and logically
Writing shows high and logically
organized with
degree of attention to organized. Some Writing lacks logical
Organization transitions used
logic and reasoning points remain organization.
between ideas and
of points. misplaced and stray
paragraphs to create
from the topic.
coherence.
Content indicates Content indicates
Content indicates Shows some thinking
synthesis of ideas, thinking and
original thinking and and reasoning but
indepth analysis and reasoning applied
Content develops ideas with most ideas are
evidences original with original
sufficient and firm underdeveloped and
thought and support thought on a few
evidence. unoriginal.
for the topic. ideas.
Main points well Main points well Main points are
Main points lack
developed with high developed with present with limited
detailed development.
quality and quantity quality supporting detail and
Development Ideas are vague with
support. Reveals high details and quantity. development. Some
little evidence of
degree of critical Critical thinking is critical thinking is
critical thinking.
thinking. weaved into points present
Spelling, punctuation,
Essay is free of Essay has few Most spelling, and grammatical
distracting spelling, spelling, punctuation, punctuation, and errors create
punctuation, and and grammatical grammar correct distraction, making
Grammar &
grammatical errors; errors allowing allowing reader to reading difficult;
Mechanics
absent of fragments, reader to follow ideas progress though fragments, comma
comma splices, and clearly. Very few essay. Some errors splices, run-ons
run-ons. fragments or run-ons. remain. evident. Errors are
frequent.

REFLECTION

Directions: Accomplish this part honestly.

1. I learned that ___________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________

2. I enjoyed most on ________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________

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 3. I want to learn more on ___________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________

REFERENCES FOR LEARNERS

1. Mitosis.The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved from

https://www.britannica.com/science/mitosis on June 5, 2020.

2. Meiosis in Humans. Embryo Project Encyclopedia (2011-03-24). ISSN: 1940-5030

Retrieved from http://embryo.asu.edu/handle/10776/2084 on June 5 2020

3. The Cell Cycle, Mitosis and Meiosis. Retrived from

https://www2.le.ac.uk/projects/vgec/highereducation/topics/cellcycle-mitosis-meiosis on June
5, 2020

4. What Happens When Mitosis Goes Wrong. Retrieved from

https://sciencing.com/happens-mitosis-goes-wrong-8400.html JUne 7, 2020

5. Mistakes during meiosis. Retrieved from ( https://letstalkscience.ca/educational-

resources/stem-in-context/meiosis-mistakes) on June 7, 2020