How are cancerous cells different from normal cells?

Answer 1

They're different because they grow faster than normal cells and start to kill the cells around them, which can result in a tumor and cause cancer.

Answer 2

They're different because they grow faster than normal cells and start to kill the cells around them, which can result in a tumor and cause cancer.

Answer 3

Cancer cells differ from normal healthy cells in several fundamental ways, which contribute to their uncontrolled growth, invasion of surrounding tissues, and potential to spread to other parts of the body. These differences arise due to genetic mutations and alterations in cellular processes. Here are some key distinctions between cancer cells and normal healthy cells:

Uncontrolled Growth and Division:

Normal cells have a tightly regulated process of growth and division, known as the cell cycle, which ensures that new cells are produced only when needed for tissue maintenance or repair.

Cancer cells lose this regulation and can divide uncontrollably, leading to the formation of a mass of cells called a tumor.

Loss of Contact Inhibition:

Normal cells exhibit contact inhibition, where they stop dividing when they come into contact with neighboring cells.

Cancer cells ignore this inhibition and continue to divide, piling up on each other to form dense masses.

Altered Cell Signaling:

Normal cells receive signals from the body that dictate when to divide, differentiate, or undergo programmed cell death (apoptosis).

Cancer cells can have mutations that disrupt these signaling pathways, leading to continuous growth and evasion of apoptosis.

Angiogenesis:

Normal tissues only develop new blood vessels (angiogenesis) when necessary, such as during wound healing.

Cancer cells can stimulate angiogenesis to ensure a blood supply to the growing tumor, allowing it to receive nutrients and oxygen.

Invasion and Metastasis:

Normal cells remain within the tissue where they belong and have specific interactions with neighboring cells and the extracellular matrix.

Cancer cells can invade nearby tissues and even break away from the primary tumor to spread to distant parts of the body (metastasis).

Genetic Mutations:

While normal cells can accumulate mutations over time, cancer cells often have numerous genetic mutations that contribute to their abnormal behavior.

These mutations can affect genes involved in cell cycle control, DNA repair, and cell signaling.

Immune Response Evasion:

Normal cells are recognized by the immune system, which helps eliminate cells that are damaged or infected.

Cancer cells can develop mechanisms to evade immune detection, allowing them to persist and grow.

Energy Production:

Normal cells primarily generate energy through oxidative phosphorylation.

Cancer cells often rely on glycolysis, even in the presence of oxygen (aerobic glycolysis), which is less efficient but allows for rapid energy production.

Chromosome Instability:

Normal cells maintain stable numbers of chromosomes during cell division.

Cancer cells can have chromosomal instability, leading to abnormal numbers of chromosomes (aneuploidy) and further contributing to their uncontrolled growth.

Cellular Communication:

Normal cells communicate with neighboring cells through complex signaling pathways to maintain tissue integrity and function.

Cancer cells can disrupt these communication pathways, leading to uncoordinated cellular behavior.

These differences collectively contribute to the hallmark characteristics of cancer, including uncontrolled growth, invasion, metastasis, and resistance to cell death. Understanding these distinctions is crucial for developing targeted therapies that specifically address the unique vulnerabilities of cancer cells while sparing healthy tissues.

Answer 4

There are 2 types: benign where the cancerous cells are surrounded by a fibrous membrane preventing metastasis.

cancerous: the cancerous cells are not surrounded by a membrane and so are free to move throughout the body, spreading the tumour to other organs/tissues.

Cancer cells arise when the cells check systems eg. tumour supressor proteins or checkpoints in the cell cycle, fail to recognise and repair DNA damage. This results in uncontrolled replication of the cell which results in a tumour.

first, cells changes to displasia, then hyperplasia, then cancer cells.

Answer 5

Normal cells have a "stop" and "go" signal. They basically get information from their surroundings that tell them whether or not they are needed to multiply. for example if someone has a cut on their skin, normal skin cells would recognize this then start multiplying. once they detect the skin has be repaired they stop. They also need nutrients from their surroundings to start the process of replicating themselves.

Cancer cells on the other hand will replicate when ever they want. they do not need nutrients from their surroundings and they do not have a "stop" and "go" signal. This is why it is difficult to target them.

Answer 6

Cancer cells do not respond to the signals that regulate the growth of most cells.As a result they form masses of cells called tumors that can damage the surrounding tissues.

Hope this helps(:

Answer 7

They're different because they grow faster than normal cells and start to kill the cells around them, which can result in a tumor and cause cancer.

Answer 8

normal cells look the same, cancer cells are abnormal.

Answer 9

Cancer cells reproduce