Cell Cycle and Differentiation
No, this is not part of the M in MCB, but traditionally I (Clay) have covered the topic. I don't yet know what will be this year. So, for now, it's here.
The production of the adult human is a choreographed process of cell proliferation and cell specialization. Throughout development cells rarely decide by themselves whether to divide or differentiate. In general, the two processes are negatively correlated with each other; cells which are increasingly differentiated are less likely to divide; however, many fully differentiated cells are able to reenter the cell-cycle with appropriate stimulus. In this module, we look at the basic processes of division and differentiation and their governing mechanisms, focusing on the machinery of the cell cycle. When a cell stops listening and strikes out on its own independent path of division, cancer may result.
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