Which one of the following properties is not a characteristic of cancer cells?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Contact Inhibition
In a normal tissue, contact inhibition stops a cell from dividing once it touches other cells. Cancer cells lose this check, so they keep dividing and form masses of cells called tumours.
(1) Gene mutation — A characteristic of cancer cells. Cancer starts when a normal cell is transformed. NCERT says that carcinogens, and genes called cellular oncogenes (proto-oncogenes) when they are activated, bring about this change.
(2) Metastasis — A characteristic of cancer cells. Cells of a malignant tumour can spread to distant sites through blood and start a new tumour there. NCERT calls this the most feared property of malignant tumours.
(3) Contact Inhibition — Not a characteristic of cancer cells. It is a property of normal cells. Cancer cells have lost it.
(4) Invading and damaging other cells — A characteristic of cancer cells. Malignant tumour cells grow very fast and invade and damage the surrounding normal tissues.
NCERT Extract:
Cancer – …
