How Cancer Effects the Cells, the Body, and their Offspring

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Have you ever wondered how cancer forms? Well, cancer starts when a cell's DNA becomes

altered. When the DNA is altered, the cells reproduce without restriction and do not die like a

normal cell. These extra cells form a mass of tissue that is a tumor. Cancer forms in the genes of

our cells, and is able to be carried in the offspring of the person with cancer.

The cells are the basic units of life. Cells contain DNA that make up genes. Genes are

instructions for the cells to make certain proteins. These proteins are then used as a blueprint for

the function and structure of the organism. When the DNA is mutated, it alters the normal growth

of the cells. This results in the cells not dying as they normally would, and a tumor may form;

these tumors are commonly called "cancer" (www.cancer.gov).

A tumor can be benign, which means it is not cancerous, or it can be malignant, which is

cancerous. The tumor is comprised of abnormal cells. These abnormal cells then take over the

organ that they begin in and are also named after it. For example, if a single cell becomes

abnormal in the liver, and then forms a cancerous tumor, it would be malignant, and would be

called liver cancer. Although, not all cancers form tumors. Also, abnormal cells can spread to

other areas of the body besides where they originally started (www.cancer.gov).

The gene for some cancers can be passed down to their offspring.These genes may

or may not produce cancer. The gene has to be activated and turned on. The mechanism for

turning on a cancerous gene is not well understood. The mechanism may vary from person to

person (www.cancer.org).

More than 4,000 disease...

... middle of paper ...

.../factsheet/Therapy/radiation>.

"Understanding Cancer Series." Gene Testing. N.p., 28 Jan. 2005. Web. 28 Apr. 2014. www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/understandingcancer/genetesting/page27>. "Understanding Cancer Series." Gene Testing. N.p., 1 Sept. 2006. Web. 29 Apr. 2014. www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/understandingcancer/genetesting/page8>. "Understanding Cancer Series." Gene Testing. N.p., 1 Sept. 2006. Web. 29 Apr. 2014. www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/understandingcancer/genetesting/page16>. "Understanding Cancer Series." Gene Testing. N.p., 1 Sept. 2006. Web. 29 Apr. 2014. www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/understandingcancer/genetesting/page12>. "What Is Cancer?." - National Cancer Institute. N.p., 7 Mar. 2014. Web. 29 Apr. 2014.
www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/cancerlibrary/what-is-cancer>.

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