1. A patient with breast cancer is undergoing chemotherapy. The nurse explains to the patient that chemotherapy works by interfering with the process of: a) Mitosis b) Meiosis c) Transcription d) Translation Answer: A Rationale: Chemotherapy drugs target rapidly dividing cells, such as cancer cells, and disrupt their ability to undergo mitosis, the process of cell division that produces two identical daughter cells from one parent cell. Meiosis is the process of cell division that produces four haploid gametes from one diploid cell. Transcription and translation are the processes of gene expression that produce proteins from DNA. 2. A nurse is reviewing the results of a patient's karyotype, which shows an abnormal number of chromosomes. The nurse recognizes that this condition is caused by an error in: a) Mitosis b) Meiosis c) Transcription d) Translation Answer: B Rationale: An abnormal number of chromosomes, or aneuploidy, is caused by an error in meiosis, the process of cell division that produces gametes. During meiosis, homologous chromosomes pair up and exchange segments of DNA in a process called crossing over. Sometimes, the chromosomes fail to separate properly, resulting in gametes with too many or too few chromosomes. This can lead to disorders such as Down syndrome, Turner syndrome, or Klinefelter syndrome. Mitosis, transcription, and translation do not affect the number of chromosomes. 3. A patient with leukemia has a bone marrow transplant from a compatible donor. The nurse explains to the patient that the donor's bone marrow cells will produce new blood cells through the process of: a) Mitosis b) Meiosis c) Transcription d) Translation Answer: A Rationale: Bone marrow cells are stem cells that can differentiate into various types of blood cells, such as red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. They do this by undergoing mitosis, the process of cell division that produces two identical daughter cells from one parent cell. Meiosis is the process of cell division that produces gametes, not blood cells. Transcription and translation are the processes of gene expression that produce proteins from DNA. 4. A patient with colon cancer has a mutation in the gene that codes for a protein called p53. The nurse understands that this protein is responsible for: a) Regulating the cell cycle and preventing uncontrolled cell division b) Repairing DNA damage and preventing mutations c) Inducing apoptosis and eliminating abnormal cells d) All of the above Answer: D Rationale: P53 is a protein that acts as a tumor suppressor, meaning that it prevents the development of cancer by performing several functions. It regulates the cell cycle and prevents uncontrolled cell division by activating checkpoints that halt the cycle if there is any damage or abnormality in the DNA. It also repairs DNA damage and prevents mutations by activating enzymes that fix errors in DNA replication or repair. Additionally, it induces apoptosis, or programmed cell death, and eliminates abnormal cells that cannot be repaired or pose a threat to normal tissue. 5. A patient with skin cancer has a biopsy of a suspicious mole. The pathology report shows that the mole contains melanocytes that have lost their ability to produce melanin, a pigment that protects the skin from UV radiation. The nurse recognizes that this loss of function is due to a change in: a) Gene expression b) Gene regulation c) Gene mutation d) Gene duplication Answer: C