BIO01 - Cancer Cells
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Fatima SantosBIO01 - Cancer Cells
Uploaded by
Fatima SantosBIO01
Cancer Cells
What is cancer? Why does it exist?
Cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the body. In the body, there are trillions
of cells with various functions. These cells grow and divide to help the body function properly. Cells
die when they become old or damaged, and new cells replace them. Cancer develops when the
body’s normal control mechanism stops working. Old cells do not die and cells grow out of control,
forming new, abnormal cells. These extra cells may form a mass of tissue, called a tumor.
Every cancer results from abnormal changes in the genes of a normal cell. Genetic mistakes
are common, but the cell usually recognizes and repairs them. Those that escape recognition can
replicate and give rise to other, increasingly bizarre genetic mutations. Each cancer is the cumulative
product of its mutations and behaves accordingly.
What is the mechanism of cancer?
All cells contain enzymes that are involved in the formation of sugar molecules on the cell’s
surface proteins (this process is known as glycosylation.) In healthy and normal cells, the enzymes are
located in Golgi apparatus. In cancer cells, however, the enzymes are located in the endoplasmic
reticulum. When proteins are formed inside the cells, they pass through both membrane systems,
where the enzymes attach sugar chains to the proteins before they are transported out to the cell’s
surface.
Cancer cells grow faster than the body’s own healthy cells. The mechanism is caused by a
faulty placement of essential enzymes in the cancer cells, which causes changes in the proteins on
the surface of the cancer cells. This mechanism plays a part in the growth of the cancer cells.
What are the effects of cancer to the human body?
Local Overgrowth. Normal cells are inhibited in their growth rate by contact with each other. This has
the beneficial effect of an orderly pattern of reproduction and cell replacement. All tumors --
cancerous and noncancerous -- lack that inhibition and grow exuberantly, piling up on one another
and producing a swollen mass, or tumor.
Spread to Other Sites. A cancerous tumor is a chaotic place where genetic mutations occur in
multiple steps, producing strains of cells that vary in their capabilities. Some mutations are lethal for
the cell, but others confer characteristics that enable further misbehavior.
Weight Loss. The lost mass is in both muscle and fat, and results from tumor suppression of appetite
and alterations in biochemical pathways for the production of proteins and other compounds. These
changes are the result of the mutant gene products from within the cancer interacting with normal
organs and tissues.
Decreased Resistance to Infection. The immune system regularly recognizes and destroys mutant
cells. Some mutations give the cancer cell the ability to cripple the immune response and escape its
control. Infections may occur throughout the body, particularly in the skin and lungs.
Cancer Treatments Centers of America. “Anatomy of Cancer: Understanding a disease that affects millions.”
http://www.cancercenter.com/discussions/blog/anatomy-of-cancer/
Science Nordic. “Mechanism behind cancer cell growth discovered.”
http://sciencenordic.com/mechanism-behind-cancer-cell-growth-discovered
LiveStrong. “Effects of Cancer on the Body.” http://www.livestrong.com/article/33017-effects-cancer-body/
