Virtual Lab: The Cell Cycle and Cancer

Instructions

Part 1.

1.  Open the virtual lab: Mcgraw-hill virtual biology lab and click The Cell Cycle and Cancer and then click Laboratory Exercise.

2.  The lab simulation will be on the right side of the screen, and the “Question” column will be on the left side.

3.  Read, do not do the lab just yet, all of the background information and instructions in the “Question” column.

4.  Click the “Information” button in the bottom right corner of the lab simulation. Read all of the background information while answering the Cancer_Virtual_Lab_Prelab set of questions below….

Cancer_Virtual_Lab_Prelab

1.  Using internet resources define the following terms

a.  Regulate

b.  Suppressor

c.  Cell cycle

d.  Protooncogenes

e.  Inhibition

2.  How does cancer develop?

3.  Describe one way a cell might lose the ability to regulate it’s cell cycle

4.  Cancer cells are unlike normal healthy cells. List 3 ways they differ

5.  Illustrate using a sequence of drawings contact inhibition

6.  What are the 2 factors that make figuring out exact causes of cancer difficult

7.  Name the 3 types of cancer being investigated in this lab and give 2 causes for each.

8.  Watch the video on Mitosis by clicking on the monitor in the lab simulation and complete the Cancer_Virtual_Lab_Video sheet found below

Cancer_Virtual_Lab_Video

1.  Define the Cell Cycle

3 CELL CYCLE STAGES / EVENTS TAKING PLACE / ILLUSTRATION
1. Interphase / Amount of DNA is ______
2. Mitosis
Prophase / Chromatin coils to form______
Nuclear membrane(envelope)
______
Metaphase / Chromosomes are made of 2 parts known as ______chromatids
Sister chomatids move towards the ______
Anaphase / Sister chromatids now separate and move to ______
Each sister chromatid is now called a separate ______
Telophase / Final phase of ______
2 new ______cells begin to form
3. Cytokinesis / The 2 new daughter cells have completely separated to form 2 new ______
The 2 new cells now enter______ready for a new cell cycle to begin…

9.  Click on the microscope in the lab simulation to examine the different stages of the cell cycle as they appear in different tissue samples.

Ø  Three types of tissue are available for examination: lung, stomach, and ovary.

Ø  Samples of normal tissue and cancerous tissue are included.

Ø  Examine both normal and cancerous tissue for each tissue type.

Ø  Follow the instructions to label each stage of the cell cycle, and then check your answers by clicking “check”.

Ø  Record the number of cells in each stage of the cell cycle in Table 1 for normal tissues

Ø  You must examine two different views of each tissue type and condition – click reset to view alternate samples (sample 2) of each tissue type until you have recorded the number of cells in each stage of the cell cycle for 2 different samples for each tissue.

Table 1-Normal Tissue : Record your data for the number of cells in each stage of the cell cycle observed in normal tissues.

# of cells @ rest # of cells actively dividing

Tissue Type / # Cells in Interphase / # Cells in Prophase / # Cells in
Metaphase / # Cells in Anaphase / # Cells in
Telophase
Lung Tissue
Sample 1
Lung Tissue
Sample 2
Stomach Tissue
Sample 1
Stomach Tissue
Sample 2
Ovarian Tissue
Sample 1
Ovarian Tissue
Sample 2

Ø  In Table 2 record the number of cells in each stage of the cell cycle for cancerous tissues.

Ø  You must examine two different views of each tissue type and condition – click reset to view alternate samples (sample 2) of each tissue type until you have recorded the number of cells in each stage of the cell cycle for 2 different samples for each tissue.

Table 2- Cancerous Tissue: Record your data for the number of cells in each stage of the cell cycle observed in cancerous tissues.

# of cells @ rest # of cells actively dividing

Tissue Type / # Cells in Interphase / # Cells in Prophase / # Cells in
Metaphase / # Cells in Anaphase / # Cells in
Telophase
Lung Tissue
Sample 1
Lung Tissue
Sample 2
Stomach Tissue
Sample 1
Stomach Tissue
Sample 2
Ovarian Tissue
Sample 1
Ovarian Tissue
Sample 2

10.  Calculate the average % cells actively dividing (mitosis) and average % cells at rest (interphase) for normal tissues. Record these numbers in Table 3 on the worksheet.

To calculate the Average % Cells at Rest in normal tissue:

  1. (#cells in Interphase in Sample 1 + #cells in Interphase in sample 2)/2 = avg. # cells at rest.
  2. (total number of cells in sample 1 + total # cells in sample 2)/2= avg total # of cells in a sample
  3. (avg. # cells at rest/avg total # of cells in a sample ) X 100 = average % cells at rest

To calculate the Average % Cells Actively Dividing in normal tissue:

1.  (#cells in mitosis in Sample 1 + #cells in mitosis in Sample 2)/2 = avg. #cells dividing

2.  (avg. # cells dividing/avg total # cells in a sample) X 100 = average % cells dividing

Table 3- Normal Tissue %: Use the data in Table 1 to calculate the average % cells actively dividing for each normal tissue type.

Tissue Type / Avg. % cells at rest / Avg % cells actively dividing
Lung - normal
Stomach - normal
Ovary - normal

11.  Do the same calculations for cancerous tissue to complete Table 4 on the worksheet.

Table 4- Cancerous Tissue %: Use the data in Table 2 to calculate the average % cells actively dividing and average % cells at rest in each cancerous tissue type.

Tissue Type / Avg. % cells at rest / Avg % cells actively dividing
Lung - cancerous
Stomach - cancerous
Ovary - cancerous

12.  Now go ahead and graph the above data from table 4.

13.  Answer questions 1 - on the Cell Cycle and Cancer Worksheet found below

Cell Cycle and Cancer Worksheet:

1.  In which phase of mitosis do each of the following occur:

  1. Centromeres split and chromosomes move toward opposite sides of the cell
  2. Chromatin coils to form visible chromosomes
  3. The nuclear membrane disappears
  4. Sister chromatids line up in the center of the cell

2. In which phases of mitosis are sister chromatids visible, and attached to each other at the centromere?

3.  What does your data indicate about the rate of cell division in cancerous tissue compared to the rate of cell division in normal tissue? What data did you use to answer this question?

4.  Which type of cancer is the fastest growing? Explain your answer, using your relevant data.

5.  With what you have observed in this lab, if you were to compare tissue sample from normal breast tissue and cancerous breast tissue:

  1. Would you expect to see a difference in the rate of cell division in the cancerous breast tissue compared to the normal breast tissue? Explain your answer.
  1. Could you make a prediction about the average % dividing cells in the cancerous breast tissue? Explain your answer.

6.  Consider the % dividing cells in normal lung, normal stomach, and normal ovarian tissue. Why do you think there are more cells dividing in the stomach and ovary tissue than in the lung tissue?

7. This lab explores three common cancers. An additional form of cancer – Skin Cancer – used to be seen only in older individuals but is now seen in younger individuals, many in their early 20s. Skin cancer results from accumulated mutations to the DNA of skin cells, caused primarily by sun exposure. What factors do you think may be contributing to the increase in skin cancer among young adults?

Part 2- Virtual Lab Data Table- Found on the bottom of the computer screen

1.  Transfer the data you collected in Data Table 1 and 2 worksheet to the Virtual Lab Data Table. a. Begin by looking at Data Table 1 on the worksheet and adding the 2 samples for Normal Lung tissue # of cells in Interphase. Transfer this number into the Virtual Lab Data Table in the Interphase column for Normal Lung.

b. Next, look at Data Table 1 on the worksheet and add the 2 samples for Normal Lung tissue # of cells in Prohase. Transfer this number into the Virtual Lab Data Table in the Prophase column for Normal lung.

c. Continue doing this for Metaphase, Anaphase and Telophase for Normal Lung Tissue.

d. Now Go to Data Table 2 on the worksheet and add the 2 samples for Cancerous Lung Tissue # of cells in Interphase. Transfer this number in the Virtual Lab Data Table in the Interphase column for Cancerous Lung.

e. Complete this process for all the Tissue Types, both Normal and Cancerous transferring from Worksheet Data Tables 1 and 2 to Virtual Lab Data Table.

2.  Transfer the data you collected in Data Table 3 and 4 worksheet to the Virtual Lab Data Table.

  1. Begin by looking at Table 3 worksheet take your Avg. % Cells at Rest for Lung-normal and transfer this number to the Virtual Lab Data Table in the Percentage of Cells at Rest column for Normal Lung.
  1. Next, look at Table 3 worksheet take your average % Cells Actively Dividing for Lung-normal and transfer this number to the Virtual Lab Data Table in the Percentage of Cells Dividing column for Normal Lung.
  1. Now, looking at Table 4 worksheet take your Avg. % Cells at Rest for Lung-cancerous and transfer this number to the Virtual Lab Data Table in the Percentage of Cells at Rest column for Cancerous Lung.
  1. Look at Table 4 worksheet take your average % Cells Actively Dividing for Lung-Cancerous and transfer this number to the Virtual Lab Data Table in the Percentage of Cells Dividing column for Cancerous Lung.
  1. Complete the remainder of the Virtual Lab Data Table
  1. Submit the completed Virtual Lab Data Table to me-
  1. Go to the Virtual Lab Journal- Found on the bottom of the screen , answer the questions and submit them to me.