Cell Cycle &

Cell Division

THE CELL CYCLE

During G1 phase cell growth, manufacture

of tRNA, rRNA, cell components and

enzymes are made.

DNA synthesis occurs during the S stage.

During G2 phase the cell prepares to go
through mitosis.
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At interphase, cells are engaged in their

normal metabolic activities such as

photosynthesis, muscle cell contractions,

and glandular-cell secretion.
The nuclear membrane is intact and the
individual chromosomes are not visible

THE CELL CYCLE - Gap 0 (G0) Phase

There are times when a cell
will leave the cycle and quit
dividing.
The cells are not in the cell
division cycle, they are
differentiated or specialized in
their function.
Some cells remain in the G0
phase (e.g., nerve cells) and
others get back to the cell
cycle (G1 , S, and G2 , e.g.,
bone cells).
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DIFFERENTIATION
Even though all cells in the body originate
from a single fertilized egg, are genetically
identical but they are not the same and
have different functions, e.g., nerve cells,
muscle cells, red blood cells . . . each with
a specific function.
The process of creating these specialized
cells is called cell differentiation.

STEM CELLS
Stem cells are cells that can become any
cell type.
Stem cells found in the bone marrow can
differentiate and become any cell
e.g., red blood cells, nerve cells . . .
Bone marrow transplants are used to cure
certain diseases is because the stem cells
can differentiate to obtain the desired
cells.
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What Controls Cell Growth &

Differentiation

What controls cell size & division?

Mitogens
A chemical substance that encourages a cell
to commence cell division, triggering mitosis.

Egs. Pokeweed, phytohaemagglutinin,

lipopolysaccharides, concanavalin A
Removal of Mitogens

Differentiated cells withdraw from cell cycle

with unduplicated DNA
With reduced macromolecule synthesis cell
enters G0 phase
Other cells show transient arrest & progress
to Apoptosis

Cell Cycle Controls

How does the cell ensure
Conversion of G1 to S Phase
Successful Replication of DNA
Preparation to initiate Division process
Proper segregation of chromatids/
chromosomes to opposite poles

Cell Cycle Check Points

Features of a Control System

A timer/ clock that turns on at specific time
Mechanism for initiating events in correct
order
Mechanism to ensure each event occurs only
once per cycle
Binary switches that trigger events in
irreversible fashion
Robustness: backup mechanism
Adaptability: with environment

Factors that control cell cycle

Cdk Inhibitors (CKIs)

Proteolysis

Factors that control cell cycle

Video

ABNORMAL CELL DIVISION

Sometimes cells cannot stop dividing and go
through uncontrolled cell division becoming
cancerous cells or tumors.
Uncontrolled cell division in white blood cells
causes leukemia.

Skin cancer

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What Is Cancer?
Cancer is a disease of the cell cycle.
Cancer cells
do not respond normally to the cell cycle
control system,
divide excessively, and
may invade other tissues of the body.

2016 Pearson Education, Inc.

What Is Cancer?
The abnormal behavior of cancer cells
begins when
a single cell undergoes genetic changes
(mutations) in one or more genes that
encode for proteins in the cell cycle control
system and
these changes cause the cell to grow
abnormally.
2016 Pearson Education, Inc.

Several Mutations cause cancer

Types of Cancer
Cancer cells can form tumors,
abnormally growing masses of body cells.
If the abnormal cells remain at the original
site, the lump is called a benign tumor.
Malignant tumors can spread into
neighboring tissues and other parts of the
body, forming new tumors, and can
interrupt organ function.

2016 Pearson Education, Inc.

Cancer develops in stages

Retinoblastoma

 Mutation in both the

alleles

Virus infection can lead to Cancer

Cancer Treatment
There are three main types 1. Surgery to remove a tumor,
2. In radiation therapy, parts of the body that have
cancerous tumors are exposed to concentrated
beams of high-energy radiation, which often
harm cancer cells more than normal cells.
Radiation therapy is often effective against
malignant tumors that have not yet spread.
3. Chemotherapy, the use of drugs to disrupt cell
division, is used to treat metastatic tumors.
2016 Pearson Education, Inc.

Cancer Prevention and Survival

Although cancer can strike anyone, there are
certain lifestyle changes you can make to
reduce your chances of developing cancer or
increase your chances of surviving it. These
include
not smoking,
exercising adequately,
avoiding exposure to the sun,
eating a high-fiber, low-fat diet,
performing self-exams, and
regularly visiting a doctor to identify tumors early.