Biology Of Cancer Essay, Research Paper

Cells inside of our body are under strict genetic control. If the genes controlling our cells become mutated, the cells can become disorganized by losing their function and dividing abnormally at less restraint than their neighboring normal cells. This activity causes the cells to fail to fully mature.Within our cells, we have regulatory proteins that perforn such functions as correcting damaged genes. Other proteins indicate to a cell that division must cease so it can mature. A mutation of these proteins and-or genes is what causes a cell to divide abnormally. If this occurs, the growth of the cancerous cells form a tumor.Abnormal cell activities can begin by including the fact that particular cells that are found in particular organs are held there due to their strong molecular tethers. These cells are also settled in their proteinaceous matrix. Abnormal cells have the ability to break those bonds and migrate to other organs in the body and invade their tissues. This is how cancer spreads through the body. These types of cells are known as metastatic cells. When these cells attain a diameter of about 2 millimeters, they become very harmful and possibly fatal.When cells have accumulated a mass of about 2 millimeters, which is due to their abnormal division, the cells stack on top of one another rather than form a layer when they make contact with each other. If closely analyzed, you will also notice that all of the cells in the mass are genetically the same and of abnormal shape. The cell mass of 2 millimeters in diameter forms a tumor. At this point, the cell mass must be able to feed itself to survive. They accomplish this task by invading normal cells and crowding them out. The tumor deprives the normal cells of their nutrients and oxygen and causes them to die, leaving only the cells forming the tumor. When this occurres, the organ has essentially lost its ability to function properly.

The process that cells use to feed themselves is known as angiogenesis. This process is necessary especially to feed the starving cells, especially the cells in the center of the mass. How this process works is that the cell mass emits signals to surrounding connective tissues and vascular cells. The cell mass then induces them to form blood vessels. The cell mass has now created its own blood supply. finally, this newly formed blood supply is harmful itself. The newly formed blood vessels emit gwoth factor signals causing the cell mass to grow even bigger. It also provides a conduit for the cell mass to escape its area and tranfer to other areas of location in the body. Cancerous tumors rely heavily on their blood supply to feed their large mass. Eliminating the blood vessels and host connective tissues is a good stepping stone to winning the war on cancer.