Question

normal cells and cancer cells. you are given two test tubes, one containing cells from a human cancer and the other containing normal cells. before you begin your studies, the labels fall off the test tubes. describe at least four experiments you could carry out to determine which sample contains the cancer cells (textbook question). explain your answer.

Answer 1

To determine which sample contains cancer cells, you can carry out experiments based on the growth pattern, cell morphology, metastasis assay, and genetic analysis.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine which sample contains the cancer cells, you could carry out the following experiments:

1. Growth Pattern: Cancer cells do not stop dividing at confluence, unlike normal cells. Therefore, you can observe the growth pattern of the cells in each test tube and see if they continue to grow in multiple layers or form a monolayer.
2. Cell Morphology: Cancer cells often have distinct morphological features, such as irregular shape, larger nucleus, and increased nuclear-to-cytoplasmic ratio. You can examine the cells under a microscope and compare their morphology.
3. Metastasis Assay: Metastasis is the spread of cancer cells from the original site to other parts of the body. You can perform a metastasis assay by injecting the cells into animals and monitoring for the formation of secondary tumors.
4. Genetic Analysis: Cancer cells can have specific genetic mutations or alterations that are not present in normal cells. You can perform genetic analysis techniques, such as PCR or DNA sequencing, to identify any cancer-specific genetic changes in the samples.