Cell Division and Cancer Risk

Resource Type
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
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)
Version History
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