EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -Cancer is unchecked cell growth. Mutations in genes can cause cancer by accelerating cell division rates or inhibiting normal controls on the system, such as cell cycle arrest or programmed cell death. As a mass of cancerous cells grows, it can develop into a tumor.

Detailed explanation-2: -Unlike normal cells, cancer cells don’t stop growing and dividing when there are enough of them. So the cells keep doubling, forming a lump (tumour) that grows in size.

Detailed explanation-3: -Normal cells follow a typical cycle: They grow, divide and die. Cancer cells, on the other hand, don’t follow this cycle. Instead of dying, they multiply and continue to reproduce other abnormal cells. These cells can invade body parts, such as the breast, liver, lungs and pancreas.

Detailed explanation-4: -Mitosis is a fundamental process for life. During mitosis, a cell duplicates all of its contents, including its chromosomes, and splits to form two identical daughter cells. Because this process is so critical, the steps of mitosis are carefully controlled by certain genes.

Detailed explanation-5: -Once these crucial Cell Cycle genes start behaving abnormally, cancer cells start to proliferate wildly by repeated, uncontrolled mitosis.