AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -A carcinogen is any substance, radionuclide, or radiation that promotes carcinogenesis (the formation of cancer). This may be due to the ability to damage the genome or to the disruption of cellular metabolic processes.

Detailed explanation-2: -Substances known to cause cancer are called carcinogens.

Detailed explanation-3: -Carcinogens do not cause cancer in every case, all the time. Some clearly raise a person’s risk of one or more types of cancer. But even the strongest carcinogens don’t raise the risk of all types of cancer. Substances labeled as carcinogens can have different levels of cancer-causing potential.

Detailed explanation-4: -Carcinogens are substances that can possibly cause cancer due to the damage they cause to DNA inside the cells. DNA tries to repair itself, but it sometimes can’t because of the problems carcinogens have caused. Ultimately, cancer grows.