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The gene p53 has come to be called
the "guardian of the genome." It plays a key role in examining
all of the cell’s DNA (genome), and checking for DNA damage that could
result in the cell becoming cancerous.
The animation below shows the life cycle of
a cell. Click on the labeled parts of the cell cycle diagram and find out
what happens during each stage.
 Without p53 working, there is no emergency brake on the cell cycle to prevent cells with damaged DNA from dividing out of control. Remember, benzopyrene in cigarette smoke damages the p53 gene! |
