Final answer:
The statement is false because cell growth, while distinct from cell proliferation, is nonetheless regulated by the cell-cycle control system, which provides essential signals for regulating both processes to ensure correct functioning and prevent diseases like cancer.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement is false. While cell growth can occur independently from cell proliferation, it is not entirely detached from the cell-cycle control system. The cell-cycle control regulates both critical processes to ensure healthy and proper cell function. Cell growth occurs during interphase, when the cell increases in size and prepares for division. However, this process is closely monitored by various checkpoints designed to prevent progression to the next phase if certain conditions are not met. This regulation is essential for preventing aberrations, such as the formation of cancerous cells, due to uncontrolled cell division or growth.
Take, for example, a cell that undergoes mitosis but does not complete cytokinesis due to malfunctioning control signals. It becomes a larger cell with multiple nuclei, a situation that may arise in cancer. Therefore, while nutrients and other factors can indeed support growth, they are not sufficient in the absence of the crucial regulatory inputs from the cell-cycle control system that decide when and whether a cell will proceed with division.
Cell growth is inherently linked to the cell-cycle controls which provide crucial "stop" and "go" signals. If there is damage to a gene that encodes for a cell cycle regulatory protein, this could result in uncontrolled cell proliferation, leading to conditions such as cancer. Therefore, proper control of both cell growth and division is imperative for maintaining an organism's health.