Today is 15 December 2010 -- We are learning a little about cell growth and reproduction

Students had three questions to answer to see if they were paying attention. Here are the questions and a sampling of the answers:

1. How do metastases affect an individual with cancer?

"They can be convinced in other parts of the body."

"It spreads diseased cells to other parts of the body by way of blood or lymphatic vessels or membranous surfaces."

"The break-away cells can be carried in other parts of the body."

"It spreads faster."

"Allows the cancer cells to grow at a specific rate."

2. What does the "a" in asexual mean?

"One individual person."

"Single - erotic"

"Single - not having a partner."

"The 'a' in asexual refers to the asexual reproduction which needs only a single individual."

"No partner with you."

"It means you can create cancer."

"Means sex by yourself -- masturbation."

3. What is the difference between "benign" and "malignant?"

"I don't know."

"That they mean 2 different things and have different meanings."

"They are opposite."

"Benign is the cancer cells typically (grouped) together; malignant is a break-away cell."

"Benign is a growth that is not harmful and malignant is the opposite."

Most of the answers showed that the students had at least a passing acquaintance with the subject. Of course, a few students will be, I'm afraid, rather disappointed with the true meaning of "asexual." It means to reproduce the organism without the benefit of an exchange of genetic material with another individual. In this respect, the offspring is a clone of the parent.

Students were also assigned review questions 1, 2 and 3 on pages 137 and 142 of their text. The questions dealt with an understanding of the cell cycle (p. 137) and of mitosis (p. 142).

Bravo to those students who completed the homework and who really paid attention to details of the cell cycle!