Question

One difference between a cancer cell and a normal cell is

• A. cancer cells cannot function properly because they suffer from contact inhibition
• B. cancer cells continue to divide even when they are tightly packed
• C. cell cycle of the cancer cell is arrested at the S phase.
• D. cancer cell is unable to synthesize DNA

Answer 1

Answer: (B)

cancer cells continue to divide even when they are tightly packed

• Most definitive characteristic of cancer cells are that they keep on dividing even when they are not required to divide and even when there is no space available for them.
• The cancer cell are unable to stop cell division and they start to take up the nutrition or the material required for the functioning of the normal cells.
• They keep on dividing and forming a tumor which is group of cells formed in a restricted space where they cannot fit thus taking up space for other cells and there nutrition.
• They can also cause the neighbouring cells to undergo mutation (if the cancer is caused by mutation of the cells).
• Cancer undergo the cell cycle as any normal cell but the difference is that they cannot stop after a specific number of cell cycle they keep on dividing even when there is no space available.
• Therefore the answer option 'cancer cells continue to divide even when they are tightly packed' is correct.