Name: _________________
Calculate mitotic Index of cancer cells
Go to:
• http://mhhe.com/biosci/genbio/virtual_labs_2K8/labs/BL_03/index.html
Purpose: You will explore the similarities and differences between the cell cycles of normal cells and
cancer cells.
Objectives:
Identify the various phases of the cell cycle.
Compare and contrast the cell cycles of normal and cancer cells
Procedures:
1. Click the monitor to watch the video about the cell cycle and then list three
characteristics of the following phases:
a. Interphase
Which structure is found in animal cells only? _____________________
b. Prophase
c. Metaphase
d. anaphase
e. telophase
2. Click on the information button and answer the following.
a. Briefly explain how cancer cells develop.
b. List to characteristics of cancer cells.
3. What are three risk factors associated with the following types of cancers?
a. Lung cancer
b. Stomach cancer
c. Ovarian cancer
4. Click on the microscope to begin learning about the phases of mitosis then click and drag the
labels to the correct stages of mitosis. Look at all tissue sample slides and complete the
following data table
Interphase Prophase Metaphase Anaphase Telophase % of
cells
dividing
%
cells
at
rest
Normal
lung
Cancerous
lung
Normal
stomach
Cancerous
Stomach
Normal
ovary
Cancerous
ovary
Discussion Questions:
Answer the following on a separate piece of paper:
1. Based on your data and observations, what are some of the differences between
normal cells and cancer cells?
2. When studying cell division in tissue samples, scientists often calculate a mitotic
index, which is the ratio of dividing cells to the total number of cells in the sample.
Which type of tissue would have a higher mitotic index, normal tissue or cancerous
tissue? Explain.
3. Different types of normal tissues in the human body have different mitotic indices.
From the following list, which normal tissues would you expect to have the highest
mitotic index: muscle, skin, kidney, or lung? Explain your answe
Questions
1. What does your data show about the rate of cell division in cancerous tissue compared to the
rate of cell division in normal tissue? What data supports your answer to this question?
The rate of cell division is faster in cancerous tissues than in normal tissue.
The data shows mitotic index values higher than all of the normal samples, in all the
cancerous samples
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………….
2. Which type of cancer is the fastest growing? Explain your answer, using relevant data to
support your claim.
The Lung cancer sample has the highest mitotic index and looks like the fastest
growing
The ovarian cancer cells show the greatest increase in mitotic index, compared
to normal cells from the same organ, but they still have a mitotic index which is less
than lung cancer tissue.