What are cell cycle regulators? What happens if cell cycle regulators don’t function properly?
A There might be the wrong kind of cells
B There might be too many cells
C There might be too many cells destroyed via programmed cell death
The correct answer and explanation is :
Correct Answer: B. There might be too many cells
Explanation:
Cell cycle regulators are proteins that control the progression of a cell through the cell cycle, ensuring that cell division occurs at the right time and in the correct way. These regulators include cyclins, cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs), tumor suppressor proteins (like p53), and checkpoint proteins that monitor DNA damage or errors in replication.
The cell cycle consists of four main phases:
- G₁ (Gap 1): Cell grows and prepares to replicate DNA.
- S (Synthesis): DNA is replicated.
- G₂ (Gap 2): The cell prepares for mitosis.
- M (Mitosis): The cell divides into two daughter cells.
Checkpoints exist at G₁, G₂, and M phases to ensure that everything is in order before the cell proceeds. Cell cycle regulators monitor for damage, make repairs, or signal for the cell to undergo apoptosis (programmed cell death) if errors are irreparable.
What Happens If Cell Cycle Regulators Don’t Function Properly?
If these regulators fail:
- The cell may not detect DNA damage, allowing mutations to accumulate.
- The cell may bypass critical checkpoints, leading to uncontrolled cell division.
- Cells might skip apoptosis, allowing abnormal or damaged cells to survive and proliferate.
This dysfunction is a hallmark of cancer. When cells divide unchecked, they can form tumors due to the overproduction of cells. Thus, the correct answer is B: There might be too many cells.
While options A and C describe potential consequences of other types of regulatory errors (like faulty differentiation or excessive cell death), they are not the most direct and common outcome of dysfunctional cell cycle regulation.