Science Glossary Unit Three Flashcards
What is a tumor?
Abnormal growth of tissue that forms when cells divide more than they should or don’t die when they should.
What does malignant mean?
Cancerous tissue; capable of spreading to other parts of the body.
What is metastasis?
The process of which a cancer cell spreads from the original site to other parts through blood or lymphatic system.
What is a benign tumor?
Non-cancerous, grows slowly, and doesn’t spread or invade nearby healthy tissues.
What is mitosis?
The process of cell division in somatic (body) cells, leading to two identical cells with the same properties of the original cell.
Phases include prophase → prometaphase → metaphase → anaphase → telophase (PMAT). Cytokinesis concludes mitosis.
What is meiosis?
A specialized process of cell division that occurs in germ cells (sperm and egg), producing four different cells with each half the amount of chromosomes of the parent.
What is chemotherapy?
A medicine that acts upon quickly splitting cells and impairs duplication of cells.
What is differentiation?
Where a cell adopts specific functions and characteristics and becomes a mature cell.
What are carcinogens?
Any substance or chemical that has the capability of causing cancer.
What is the cell cycle?
The process of growth, development, and division a cell undergoes.
Growth Period I, Synthesis of Genetics, Growth Period II, Mitosis)
What is the nucleus?
Contains and reads a cell’s DNA—the brain/command center of the cell.
What is the cell membrane?
A malleable barrier that separates a cell’s organelles from its external environment.
What is a spindle in cell division?
A structure forming on either side of the cell that separates chromosomes during cell division.
