NH+Cancer+Notes

10^13 cells in your body

cancer cell -DNA damage (radiation, sun, smoke, chemicals) -immortal cell- never dies Defense against cancer -PCD -cancer cells ignore signals to die 2 genes -proto-oncogene -encourage cell division -tumor suppressor genes (p53) -stops cell division -these two genes are damaged in cancer cells -proto-oncogene -after DNA damage- called an ocogene--> cell division doesn't stop -tumor suppressor genes -after DNA damage- it doesn't inhibit cell division anymore cells that are cancer cells- weird properties -telomeres (ends of DNA) never get shorter -multi-lobed nucleus -no function except to divide -can pile up on each other--> forms a tumor -normal cells will stop dividing if the touch another cell