Concept
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Created by Boundless
Tumor Suppressor Genes
Function of Normal and Mutated p53 genes
The role of normal p53 is to monitor DNA and the supply of oxygen (hypoxia is a condition of reduced oxygen supply). If damage is detected, p53 triggers repair mechanisms. If repairs are unsuccessful, p53 signals apoptosis. A cell with an abnormal p53 protein cannot repair damaged DNA and cannot signal apoptosis. Cells with abnormal p53 can become cancerous.
Source
Boundless vets and curates high-quality, openly licensed content from around the Internet. This particular resource used the following sources:
"OpenStax College, Cancer and the Cell Cycle. October 16, 2013."
http://cnx.org/content/m44463/latest/Figure_10_04_01.png
OpenStax CNX
CC BY 3.0.