if cancer is basically a clump of cells that dont want to die, why/how do things like cigarettes, asbestos, and the literal sun trigger it?
In: Biology
Cancer cells result from mutations that disable the things that keep cell growth in check. Those mutations come from incorrect repairs to cell DNA, and those errors happen more frequently the more repairs take place.
Therefore things that cause damage that requires repairs increase the chances of developing cancer, stuff like cigarettes, asbestos, and sun exposure.
The cells in our body reproduce regularly and based off of a genetic map. That genetic map can naturally become distorted and cause cells to reproduce uncontrollably, becoming cancerous growths known as tumors.
A “carcinogen” is a substance (certain types of radiation, chemicals, etc.) that can basically screw up that genetic map much faster than would naturally occur in an otherwise healthy person. Cigarette smoke has a lot of carcinogens, both from radioactive sources and from certain chemicals. Energy from the sun is also radioactive – a lot of the more harmful light is filtered out in the atmosphere but you can still receive dangerous doses if you’re outside all the time without protection on.
Those things damage your DNA. Your DNA is an instruction set on how to build cells.
If the right bits of DNA are damaged, then your body will read the wrong instructions and build heaps of useless cells, and that is called Cancer
Every time your cells split theres a very small chance that something goes wrong and it becomes a cancerous cell instead of a healthy cell.
Those carcinogens damage cells, and force your body to get rid of them, and for another cell to split to replace it. Since they increase the number of cell splits, they increase your risk of cancer.
A lot of people are saying stuff like carcinogens are the cause and mutations and etc without actually answering the question
Sun releases ionizing radiation which can knock electrons out in the DNA, thus changing it
Chemicals can cause stuff like DNA methylation to happen where the transcription and translation process of the DNA get affected so new cells can get made incorrectly etc
Instead of a bunch of cells that don’t want to die, think of it more like a bunch of cells that have had their self-destruct button broken, or the wiring from the self-destruct button to the “reactor” broken. Because that self destruct signal either is not being received or not being carried out properly, the cells keep growing & replicating in an uncontrolled manner.
Carcinogens (or things that cause cancer) like smoking, UV radiation, etc., are the things breaking the self destruct.
Imagine you are told a long paragraph (it’s simple enough to remember but there exists no copy of it, written or otherwise) and I task you with writing down, over and over again. Each time you write it, the previous write ups cease to exist. You basically just keep writing. How much would you be willing to bet that after a year, the paragraph you write will be the exact same as the initial one given (ie exact word placement [frameshift mutations], properly spelled [nonsense/missense/silent mutation], etc)?
When a cell replicates, that’s basically what happens. The cell divides based off the DNA framework of the parental cell. The downstream effect are felt when the cell has to divide over and over and over again (DNApol has copy error rates). So after hundreds/thousands of replications, you begin getting accumulations of “cancer-like” cell health profiles.
So back to your original question. Certain things cause cells to die, and your body tends to have a homeostasis (basically a point of balance) drive to have certain cells in certain places. So when you take in some of these chemicals that kill cells, you are basically encouraging your body to divide cells in the affected regions (lungs for cigarettes, skin for sun, wiping to hard to colorectal, etc.), thus you are encouraging replication errors to occur more often than let’s say someone who does not do those behaviors.
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In addition to the DNA damage aspect, these things cause irritation and inflammation. Inflammation helps promote cell replication thus allowing cells with damaged DNA to divide more.
Your body makes about 200 cancer cells per day, your immune system is really good at fighting those cells before they metastasize. When you are doing something damaging to your body that’s in bed of constant repair, your immune system is distracted by the extra work and those cancer cells slip by unnoticed. Smoking, drinking, inhaling impurities, stressing out, not getting enough rest are all things that cause damage that can be mostly avoided.
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