Cell Division Going Wrong: Cancer

Question 1

What is cancer?

Answer 1

A group of diseases caused by a mutation in the DNA that causes the cell to divide uncontrollably (continual mitosis), creating tumours.

Question 2

What are mutations?

Answer 2

Mutations: changes or damages done to the DNA.

Question 3

What are benign tumours?

Answer 3

Lump of cells that do not affect other cells, except for physical crowding.

Question 4

What are malignant tumours?

Answer 4

A lump of cells that can interfere with other cell functions or destroy other cells by taking their nutrients and can move into the bloodstream.

Question 5

What is metastasis?

Answer 5

Metastasis is how cancer spreads. Malignant cancer cells break away from the primary tumour into the blood stream, where they can establish a secondary tumour elsewhere in the body.

Question 6

What are carcinogens? What are some examples.

Answer 6

Environmental factors that cause DNA mutations that cause cancer, ie. tobacco smoke, pollution, sunlight/tanning beds, chemicals, x-rays, or poor nutrition.

Question 7

What are the two causes of cancer?

Answer 7

Carcinogens, heredity

Question 8

What is heredity cancer?

Answer 8

Some cancers are partly damaged DNA passed to offspring, such as breast and colon cancer.

Question 9

How do you reduce the risk of cancer?

Answer 9

Lifestyle choices, like exercise and food choices, help reduce the risk of cancer.