Question

real-world connection: cancer treatments
connection #1:chemotherapy drugs often work by targeting cells that are dividing rapidly. this is effective against cancer because cancer cells..

connection #2: besides cancer cells, what other normal cells might be affected by chemotherapy?

case study: breast cancer mutations in genes that regulate the cell cycle are a primary cause of cancer. in hereditary breast cancer, mutations in tumor suppressor genes like brca1 and brca2 are common. these genes normally help repair damaged dna and halt the cell cycle if repairs fail. when mutated, they lose their function, allowing cells with dna errors to continue dividing, leading to tumor formation.
examine the image. compared to normal cells, what differences do you see in cell size, shape, and organization? explain your reasoning.

Explanation:

Cancer cells divide uncontrollably. Chemotherapy targets rapidly - dividing cells. Normal cells that divide rapidly (e.g., hair - follicle cells, bone - marrow cells, digestive - tract lining cells) can also be affected. For the cell - comparison part: Normal cells are uniform in size, shape, and organized. Cancer cells are irregular in size (larger or smaller), shape (abnormal), and disorganized (lacking proper tissue - like arrangement) as they lose normal regulatory mechanisms.

Answer:

Connection #1: Cancer cells divide uncontrollably.
Connection #2: Hair - follicle cells, bone - marrow cells, digestive - tract lining cells.
Case - Study comparison: Normal cells are uniform in size, shape, and organized. Cancer cells are irregular in size (larger or smaller), shape (abnormal), and disorganized (lacking proper tissue - like arrangement).