3030 CC

unit

Cell Division, Genetics,

and Molecular Biology

Cell Division, Genetics,

and Molecular Biology

Cancer is a broad group of diseases associated with the uncontrolled, unregulated

growth of cells. Much more active than normal cells, cancer cells divide at rates that

far exceed those of the parent cells from which they arose. Cancer cells also do not

mature into specific cell types, as do normal cells. Cancer cells cannot carry out some

of the functions of normal cells, which in turn can seriously affect a patient’s health.

Cancer research aims at understanding how cells become cancer cells, and how they

differ from normal cells. A research team at the University of Alberta, led by

Dr. Mark Glover, is making significant contributions to our knowledge of one form

of breast cancer. People at risk of developing this form of breast cancer have a muta-

tion in a particular gene, which in turn directs the production of a mutant protein.

Dr. Glover’s group created the first three-dimensional model of the part of this pro-

tein that is involved in cancer development. This knowledge may lead to a method

to screen patients for this type of cancer early on.

As you progress through the unit, think about these focusing questions:

• What cellular processes allow for reproduction and growth of an organism?


• What regulates the transmission of genetic information from one generation to
  the next?


• How is DNA responsible for the production of proteins?

552 Unit 30 C

UNIT 30 C PERFORMANCE TASK

Investigating Human Traits

Genetics allows us to understand and predict the inheritance of traits. This kind of

information can be very important for traits that cause health problems, such as cancer.

How can human genetic traits be investigated? What do the patterns of inheritance of

some common traits tell us about the genes that determine those traits? At the end of this

unit, you may apply your skills and knowledge to complete this Performance Task.

NEL

http://www.science.nelson.com GO