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Cell Division and Cancer Risk

Image from the activity

Topic

  • Genetics
  • Genetic Disease
  • Mutations
  • Math & Computational Skills
  • Graph Interpretation

Resource Type

  • Activities
  • Data Points

Level

High School — GeneralHigh School — AP/IBCollege
Saved By
20 Users
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Description

This activity guides the analysis of a published scientific figure from a study that investigated how random mutations during cell division can contribute to cancer.

Hereditary and environmental factors explain only a fraction of overall cancer risk. In this study, researchers investigated how a third factor, chance mutations during stem cell division and DNA replication, may contribute to the cancer rates of various body tissues. The figure compares how many times stem cells divide in different tissues with the lifetime risks of developing cancer in those tissues. The “Educator Materials” document includes a captioned figure, background information, graph interpretation, and discussion questions. The “Student Handout” includes a captioned figure and background information.

The “Resource Google Folder” link directs to a Google Drive folder of resource documents in the Google Docs format. Not all downloadable documents for the resource may be available in this format. The Google Drive folder is set as “View Only”; to save a copy of a document in this folder to your Google Drive, open that document, then select File → “Make a copy.” These documents can be copied, modified, and distributed online following the Terms of Use listed in the “Details” section below, including crediting BioInteractive.

Student Learning Targets

  • Analyze and interpret data from a scientific figure. 
  • Describe how cell division can contribute to cancer risk in body tissues.

Estimated Time

Within one 50-minute class period.

Key Terms

carcinoma, correlation, logarithmic scale, mutation, sarcoma, scatter plot, tissue, tumor

Primary Literature

Tomasetti, Cristian, and Bert Vogelstein. “Variation in cancer risk among tissues can be explained by the number of stem cell divisions.” Science 347, 6217 (2015): 78–81. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1260825. 

To access this article, set up a free AAAS account. An annotated version of the article is also available from Science in the Classroom.

Terms of Use

Please see the Terms of Use for information on how this resource can be used.

Accessibility Level (WCAG compliance)

PDF files meet criteria. Spanish files meet criteria.

Version History

Date Published 02.06.17
Date Updated 10.12.21

NGSS (2013)

HS-LS1-4; SEP2, SEP4, SEP5

AP Biology (2019)

IST-1.E, IST-4.A; SP1, SP4

IB Biology (2016)

1.6, 7.1

Common Core (2010)

ELA.RST.9-12.7
Math.S-ID.3, Math.S-IC.1; MP2, MP5

Vision and Change (2009)

CC2; DP2, DP3

Materials

Resource Google Folder (Link)
Educator Materials (PDF) 1 MB
Student Handout (PDF) 843 KB
Educator Materials - Español (PDF) 458 KB
Student Handout - Español (PDF) 373 KB

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