Question

What is a characteristic of cancer cells?

1) They are taken from a living organism and grown in a culture.
2) They grow at an uncontrolled rate.
3) They do not stop growing when they are touching; they continue growing.
4) They grow multiple layers thick.
5) Their growth differs from normal cell growth and the number of mitotic divisions are unlimited.

Answer 1

Cancer cells are characterized by their uncontrolled growth rate, lack of contact inhibition in the cell cycle, and potential to invade other tissues and spread throughout the body. Option 3 is correct.

Step-by-step explanation:

A characteristic of cancer cells is that they grow at an uncontrolled rate. Unlike normal cells that stop dividing when they make contact with each other (a process known as contact inhibition), cancer cells lack the ability to control their cell cycle, leading to rapid division and the formation of tumors. Cancer cells are also known for their potential to invade adjacent tissues and spread to other parts of the body, a process known as metastasis.

Cancer is essentially a disease that occurs when there is a lack of regulation in the cell cycle, often due to DNA damage, and cells divide much faster than normal cells. These cancerous cells can form an abnormal mass called a tumor, which can either be benign or malignant. Malignant tumors have the capacity to invade and cause damage to neighboring tissue, which defines the severity and deadliness of the cancer.