Cancer and Body Systems Overview

Cancer

• Cancer is a cellular disorder caused by the body's inability to control cell division.
• Different types of cancer affect different parts of the body: melanoma (skin), leukemia (bone marrow white blood cells), carcinoma (internal organs or skin lining), sarcoma (bone or connective tissue), and lymphoma (immune system cells).
• Cancer begins when a group of cells ignore their genetic programming, lose their specialization, and divide uncontrollably.
• Cancer can impact the functioning of the body's organ systems.

Physiology

• Physiology is the normal function of cells, organs, or organ systems.

Nervous System

• The nervous system coordinates and regulates the functions of other body systems, responding rapidly to both internal and external stimuli.

Endocrine System

• Endocrine glands produce hormones that regulate and coordinate different systems, working more slowly than the nervous system.

Respiratory System

• This system provides tissues with oxygen and removes carbon dioxide from the blood, as well as regulates the blood's pH.

Cardiovascular System

• This system transports nutrients and oxygen to tissues, and removes waste products, along with hormones secreted by the endocrine system.

Digestive System

• The digestive system supplies nutrients and water to tissues and removes undigested waste material.

Urinary System

• This system eliminates waste products and regulates the water and electrolyte balance of the blood.

Lymphatic System

• The lymphatic system maintains blood volume, collects excess fluid, defends against disease.

Muscular System

• The muscular system maintains body temperature, supports and protects organs, and facilitates movement.

Cells

• Cells are the fundamental units of life, and have the ability to acquire materials and energy, respond to their environment, reproduce, maintain an internal environment, and adapt to changes.
• Prokaryotic cells are found in bacteria
• Eukaryotic cells are found in animals, plants, and fungi.

Organelles

• Organelles within cells are specialized membrane-bound compartments that carry out specific functions.
• Organelles allow compartments to specify and regulate chemical reactions.
• Nucleus - Contains genetic information.
• Ribosomes - Sites of protein synthesis.
• Mitochondria - Produce energy.

Nucleic Acids - DNA

• DNA is a nucleic acid composed of nucleotides.
• A nucleotide contains a 5-carbon sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base.
• The nitrogenous bases in DNA are adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine.
• DNA exists as a double helix formed by complementary base-pairing between strands.
• Genome - the complete set of genetic information in a cell.

Gene Expression

• Gene expression is the process where cells use information in DNA to produce proteins.
• DNA holds instructions for making proteins.
• Protein production happens outside of the nucleus, in the cytoplasm of cells.

Transcription

• Transcription converts DNA information into mRNA.
• RNA polymerase unwinds DNA and creates a complementary mRNA strand.

Translation

• Translation converts mRNA into protein.
• Ribosomes read the mRNA codons and link amino acids together into chains to create a protein. .

Protein Structure

• Protein structure involves the arrangement of amino acids.
• Primary structure - linear sequence of amino acids.
• Secondary structure - amino acid interactions (alpha-helices and beta-sheets).
• Tertiary structure - three-dimensional structure of the folded protein.
• Quaternary structure - interaction of multiple protein chains.

Enzymes

• Enzymes are proteins that catalyze chemical reactions in the body.