Question

Cells obtained from cancerous tumors are known as

• A. Hybridomas
• B. Myelomas
• C. Lymphocytes
• D. Monoclonal cells

Answer 1

Answer: (B)

Myelomas

Tumour ( neoplasm ) is abnormal growth of cells. Tumours are divided into four main groups,

A) Benign: They are circumscribed or encapsulated and localised. They do not transform into cancer.e.g. uterine fibroids, skin moles.

B) Precancerous: They are potentially malignant tumours. They are localised, do not invade or destroy, but in time may transform into cancer.

C) Malignant: They are commonly called cancer. They invade and destroy the surrounding tissue, may form metastasis and, if untreated or unresponsive to treatment, will prove fatal. The metastatic tumours are also called secondary tumours. They are same as primary tumours or apparently unrelated tumours which grow after chemotherapy or radiotherapy of primary cancer.

Cancers or malignant tumours are often heterogeneous and contain more than one type of cell, but their initiation and continued growth is usually dependent on the single population of neoplastic or tumour cells. These cells are presumed to be clonal - that is they are derived from the same cell, and all carry same genetic or epigenetic properties. For example, myeloma is abnormal growth of lymphocytes. Thus cancerous cells of the tumour are monoclonal cells which form clone or a tumour by repeated cellular replication of a single type of cell.

Thus, the correct answer is option B.