Practicing Success

Target Exam

CUET

Subject

Biology

Chapter

Human Health and Disease

Question:

Read the following passage and answer the following questions(1-5).
Cancer is one of the most dreaded diseases of human beings and is a major cause of death all over the globe. More than a million Indians suffer from cancer and a large number of them die from it annually. The mechanisms that underlie development of cancer or oncogenic transformation of cells, its treatment and control have been some of the most intense areas of research in biology and medicine. . Normal cells show a property called contact inhibition by virtue of which contact with other cells inhibits their uncontrolled growth. Cancer cells appears to have lost this property. As a result of this, cancerous cells just continue to divide giving rise to masses of cells called tumors. Transformation of normal cells into cancerous cells may be induced by carcinogens. Radiations cause DNA damage leading to neoplastic transformation.Cancer causing viruses called oncogenic viruses have genes called viral oncogenes. Cancer detection is based on biopsy and histopathological studies of the tissue and blood and bone marrow tests for increased cell counts in the case of leukemias. Techniques like radiography, CT and MRI are very useful to detect cancers of the internal organs. The common approaches for treatment of cancer are surgery, radiation therapy and immunotherapy.

The cancer patients are treated with which of the following biological response modifiers?(Question 1)

Options:

Interleukins

Alpha Interferons

Morphine

Serotonin

Correct Answer:

Alpha Interferons

Explanation:

The correct answer is Option (2) –Alpha Interferons

Several chemotherapeutic drugs are used to kill cancerous cells. Some of these are specific for particular tumors. Majority of drugs have side effects like hair loss, anemia, etc. Most cancers are treated by combination of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Tumor cells have been shown to avoid detection and destruction by immune system. Therefore, the patients are given substances called biological response modifiers such as α-interferon which activates their immune system and helps in destroying the tumor.