Explain6 marksChallenge
A 45-year-old patient sustains a second-degree burn on their forearm. The burn damages the epidermis, but the basal layer of the epidermis contains stem cells that remain intact. These stem cells are capable of dividing to replace the damaged skin cells.
Explain how these stem cells undergo the mitotic cell cycle to produce new, genetically identical skin cells. In your answer, refer to: • the structure of chromosomes during mitosis • the main stages of the cell cycle • the role of telomeres in this process • how uncontrolled division of these stem cells could lead to a tumour.