For example, if someone discovers they have breast cancer or cancer in the liver or something, does that mean that they always had cancer but it was not able to be detected until they discovered they had it? Or is that something that is formed later, and wasn’t always in that person’s body?
In: Biology
Your cells are always dividing in order to keep up with cell death and loss.
The DNA in your cells is also under constant bombardment from oxidation, UV rays, and toxic chemicals (alcohol etc) that end up creating DNA damage.
Most of the time this DNA damage is either a) not important b) important but gets repaired or c) so critical that it results in the death of the cell (either cause it can’t survive or because it starts expressing weird proteins which your immune system kills).
Over time, your cells accumulate more and more of this non-lethal DNA damage (this is, arguably, *why* our body ages). Most of the damage just means the cell doesn’t do it’s job as well.
Rarely however, the DNA damage can effect genes that do not kill the cell but cause serious issues. Such as controlling growth regulation.
When these mutations occur, you can end up with cells that are the trifecta, resulting in cancer: a) unregulated replication b) loss of function and c) still recognized as “normal” by your immune system (so not killed).
Latest Answers