Part 1: Concept check
Define the cell cycle and explain its importance to organisms.
Name and describe the three checkpoints of the cell cycle and give an example of a possible consequence of failure at each checkpoint.
The length of the cell cycle varies between cell types and some cells divide more often than other cells. Give an example of a cell type that does not divide and give an example of a cell type with a short cell cycle.
Part 2: Critical thinking
Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy often lose their hair and suffer from gastro-intestinal problems among other side effects. Based on what you know about the cell cycle and the evident side effects, how would you suppose the chemotherapy drugs are working? How could chemotherapy be improved? (You may want to make a quick internet search for help with this question.)
In this week's reading, the article, "When Checkpoints Fail," in the subsection "Consequences of Checkpoint Failure," suggests possible beneficial outcomes of a checkpoint failure. Discuss a circumstance in which a checkpoint failure may be beneficial and use your imagination to describe a favorable outcome of a cell cycle checkpoint failure.