cancer Flashcards
what is cancer
mutations to DNA which cause uncontrollable cell division
how is a tumour formed
layers of cells forming over each other
why does cancer have a low oxygen supply
as cancer cells rapidly dividing, they require a lot of oxygen. However, the blood cannot supply enough oxygen to the cells
what factors can cause cancer
- cariogenic chemicals
- ionising radiation
- cigarette smoke
how are cancer cells destroyed
the immune system can recognise the cells as ‘foreign’ and so they are killed
they can also kill themselves through forced apoptosis
what is a benign tumour
a tumour that divides slowly and is kept in one place - usually not life threatening
what is a malignant tumour
a tumour that rapidly divides and can spread to other organs - usually life threatening
what does chemotherapy do
prevents the synthesis stage and so the dna in cancer cells cannot divide - the rest of mitosis will be prevented
what do radiotherapy drugs do
they damage the dna and so it cannot replicate - preventing any further stages of mitosis. This will cause the cell to undergo apoptosis
what can some drugs do to the spindle fibres
prevent the spindle fibres from forming which will prevent any further stages in mitosis
