Final answer:
The answer is true. Malignant cells can grow in a liquid suspension due to their lack of contact inhibition and their ability to proliferate without surface attachment, contributing to their metastatic potential.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that most malignant cells are capable of growing in a liquid suspension is true. Malignant cells, which are cancerous by nature, can grow and divide without adhering to the substratum of the culture dish. Unlike normal cells that exhibit contact inhibition on reaching confluence, meaning they stop dividing when they touch each other, cancer cells lack this regulatory mechanism. They often continue to proliferate, leading to a loss of contact inhibition and formation of multiple cell layers in a culture dish. This characteristic enables them to grow as well in a liquid suspension as they are not dependent on surface attachment for growth. The ability to grow without attachment to a solid substrate contributes to the metastatic potential of cancer cells, allowing them to spread to different parts of the body through the bloodstream or the lymphatic system.