Final answer:
Cancer is a disease caused by mutations in cells, leading to their uncontrolled division and formation of tumors. These mutations can be caused by various factors and result in differing types of cancer depending on the tissue affected. While some mutations are heritable, others occur in somatic cells leading to cancer.
Step-by-step explanation:
The disease resulting from a mutation of normal cells that proliferate in the body, affecting any tissue is known as cancer. A mutation is a permanent alteration in the DNA of a cell that can lead to cancer when it causes cells to divide uncontrollably. This process can lead to the formation of a tumor, which is a mass of cells with abnormal formation. Tumors can be benign or malignant; the latter are known as cancerous because they metastasize and spread to other tissues, disrupting normal bodily functions. There are various types of cancer such as carcinomas, leukemias, myelomas, and sarcomas, each named according to the tissue they originate from.
Mutations in DNA can happen due to environmental exposure, infectious agents, or errors during DNA replication. When mutations affect somatic cells, they can lead to uncontrolled cell division as seen in cancer. If mutations occur in germ cells, they can be passed down to offspring, causing hereditary diseases. Germline mutations can increase susceptibility to diseases, like those in the BRCA2 gene and breast cancer.