Name_______________________________ Date_________________ Period____

Controlled vs. Uncontrolled Cell Growth

Controlled Cell Growth
Why do cells need controls on their rate of growth and division? What would happen
if cells continued to divide without control? In order to properly function, cells need
to be regulated from their internal and external environment.
Before cells divide, each chromosome must be duplicated and then attach to a
spindle fiber. If these events in the cell cycle do not occur properly, the daughter cell
will not have all the genetic information required to function. Therefore, cells must
have an internal regulator to ensure these events occur accurately. These internal
regulators provide quality control for the cell. Special proteins classified as cyclins
are involved with regulating the cell cycle. Proteins that control internal events are
called internal regulators.
Proteins that respond to factors are called external regulators. External factors may
be physical or chemical. When cells touch each other through physical contact, their
cell cycle is affected. Proteins on the surface of cells bind to each other and cause the
cell cycle to slow down by releasing signals that block cell growth. In contrast,
proteins that cause cells to speed up cell division are called growth factors.
Growth factors are chemical signals that direct cells to grow. For example, new cells
are needed to replace cells lost or damaged due to an injury. Growth factors
stimulate cells at the site of the injury, causing them to divide rapidly. This action
starts the healing process. Proteins that function as hormones are other examples of
growth factors. Human growth hormone is an example of a growth facor that
stimulates bone cells to grow and divide.
Uncontrolled Cell Growth
If cells are not controlled properly through internal and external regulators, cells will
divide continuously. An example of uncontrolled growth is cancer. This uncontrolled
growth causes cells to form masses called tumors. Tumor cells that break away can
form new masses. This is called malignancy. If cancer cells continue to grow and
spread, they will eventually kill the organism.
Cancer causes harm to an organism because the cancer cells use up nutrients and
oxygen without providing a specialized function for the organism. The added space a
tumor occupies creates stress on other cells and may cause them to stop working
properly.

Cancer is caused by a variety of factors that include smoking, exposure to excessive

radiation from the sun, pollution, and some viruses. Agents that cause cancer are
called carcinogens. Carcinogens affect normal cells by causing the genetic material to
change or mutate. These mutations affect the proteins that regulate the cell cycle.
Some of these mutations prevent the cells from being able to respond to external
regulators that slow down or stop cell division when contacting other cells. Other
mutations affect internal regulators that make sure cell division occurs properly.

Answer the following questions using the reading above.

1. Look the pictures below. Describe the difference between controlled cell
growth vs. uncontrolled cell growth.

2. Why does cancer cause harm to an organism?

3. Cancer is caused by what factors?