Norma Cell Cycle

In the cell cycle, there are many phases. These are always monitored for being properly functioning. For example, if a DNA strand is missing, it will be noticed in the process. This is what is called the NORMAL cell cycle. In the CANCER cell cycle however, things are a bit different. All cells go through a cycle, from the G0, to the M phase (mitosis). The initial phase, G0, is where cells “rest”, maintaining normal, non-division related functions. Cancer cells usually cannot or do not enter G0, which is one the reasons they divide uncontrollably. Next comes the G1 phase, which is the first growth phase of the cell. In all cell (cancerous and normal cells) the cell preps for cell division. The cell does not change its normal functions, but enlarges slightly. In cancer cells, the production of proteins in this phase may be altered, producing too many or too few proteins, which result in uncontrolled replication, and rapid entry into the S phase of the cell cycle. The S (synthesis) phase is where the cell’s DNA synthesises to make 2 identical pairs of chromosomes. In cancer cells, the proteins required to enter the S phase may have been overproduced, accelerating the cancerous cell’s passage through the cell cycle, which means accelerated, …show more content…
The main genes that can be damaged in this process are the tumor suppressor gene, which helps prevent large growths of cancer cells, keeping them contained within an area to prevent malignancy. The other gene is the DNA repair gene, which helps repair DNA in the case of errors occurring (such as cancer/tumor growing genes). The last main gene is the cell growth gene, the proto oncogene. This gene helps stop and start the growth process of cells, making sure they are the proper size, which can be helpful to prevent tumors from growing. When mutated, they become