Download Cancer - Wsfcs

Cancer
-uncontrolled cell division
Contact Inhibition
-a characteristic of normal cells in
which cells will stop dividing (by
entering a G0 phase) when they make
contact with a surface
-cancer cells do not have this
characteristic
Tumor
-an abnormal mass of cells
Benign Tumor
-an abnormal but unthreatening
tumor
Malignant Tumor
-also known as cancer
-an abnormal mass of cells that
invades healthy tissues and can spread
to other locations
Metastasis
-the spreading of cancer beyond
its original site
Carcinogen
-a cancer-causing substance
Mutagen
-a carcinogen that mutates DNA
to cause cancer
Proto-oncogene
-a gene that controls the speed of cell
cycle
-like a “gas pedal” for the cell cycle
-when mutated, it becomes an
oncogene
Oncogene
-a proto-oncogene that has
become mutated and now causes
uncontrolled cell division (cancer)
Tumor Suppressor Gene
-a gene that stops the cell cycle to
prevent uncontrolled cell division
(cancer)
-like “brakes” for the cell cycle
-when mutated, this gene does not do
its normal job