Biology 1002B Study Guide - Tumor Suppressor Gene, Feline Leukemia Virus, Gene Duplication
20 Apr 2013
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Document Summary
In canada, cancer is the leading cause of non-accidental death. Men are at a higher risk than women. The top four most common are prostate, breast, lung and colon cancer. Heritability estimates from twin studies show that there is a rather low correlation (about 0. 27-0. 42). The cell cycle involves a complex called cdk (cyclin dependant kinase) which is a checkpoint that ensures damaged cells do not replicate their dna. Cyclins are produced early in the cell cycle where they bond with cdk, which then phosphorylates targets downstream and releases the g1 checkpoint. Different sets of cyclins are used for each checkpoint. Expression of proto-oncogenes like egf promotes cell cycling, which are sometimes treated as the cause of cancer. They are, however, genes that are required for cell division but may play a role in the rapid- cell division involved in cancer.
