BIO 2.7 Cell Division Gone Wrong

Question 1

What is Cancer ?

Answer 1

 Cancer is a group of diseases that are one of the leading causes of death in Canada.

 Cancer cells result from cells that grow and divide out of control (forming tumors that usually affect everyday living)

Question 2

What causes Cancer ?

Answer 2

 Every time a cell divides, the DNA is copied. If there is a mistake made when copying the DNA, it is called a mutation. If the mutation occurs in the part of the DNA that controls cell division the cell may begin to divide rapidly and become cancerous.

 Cancers can be hereditary, environmental, or a combination of both.

 Some mutations are caused by carcinogens – environmental factor that causes cancer

Question 3

List some carcinogens

Answer 3

–Smoking (first and second hand)
–UV
–Sulphites (processed foods)
–Aspartame
–Radiation
Asbestos

Question 4

What are tumors + Benign v.s Malignant ?

Answer 4

The uncontrolled growth of cells may create a tumour. A tumour is a mass of cells that continue to grow and divide without any obvious function in the body. Tumours can be…

BENIGN
Does not affect surrounding tissues other than by physically crowding them NOT GROWING

MALIGNANT
Interferes with the functioning of surrounding cells; a cancerous tumour CONTINUOUSLY GROWING

Question 5

Metastasis

Answer 5

The process of cancer cells breaking away from the original (primary)
tumour and establishing another (secondary) tumour elsewhere in the body.

Question 6

Cancer Screening

Answer 6

–It is important to screen for cancer regularly to increase the chance of detecting cancer early enough to successfully treat it

Colonoscopy, PSA test, personal breast cancer examinations, etc.

Question 7

Treatments for Cancer

Answer 7

 Surgery – Physically removing the cancerous tissue.

 Chemotherapy – Using drugs to slow or stop the cancer cells from dividing and spreading to other parts of the body, and by killing the cells.

 Radiation – Radiation is directed at the tumour by using a focused beam or by implanting a radioactive source into the tumour.

 Biophotonics – Uses beams of light to detect and treat cancer.