Question

chapter 12 quiz

question 1 (5 points)

metastasis is

a) a type of cancer.
b) the division of cancer cells.
c) the spread of cancer cells.
d) a nonmalignant cell.

Explanation:

🆕 New Concept Discovered: Cancer Biology and Metastasis
How cancer spreads to other parts of the body

Step 1: Define Metastasis

Metastasis is the biological process by which cancer cells break away from the original (primary) tumor, travel through the blood or lymphatic system, and form new tumors (metastatic tumors) in other organs or tissues of the body.

Step 2: Evaluate the Options

• a) a type of cancer: Incorrect. Metastasis is a process or behavior of cancer cells, not a specific diagnostic type of cancer (like leukemia or melanoma).
• b) the division of cancer cells: Incorrect. The division and multiplication of cancer cells is called proliferation or mitosis.
• c) the spread of cancer cells: Correct. This directly matches the definition of metastasis, describing how cancer moves from its primary site to distant sites.
• d) a nonmalignant cell: Incorrect. Nonmalignant (benign) cells do not invade neighboring tissues or spread throughout the body; metastasis is a hallmark characteristic of malignant (cancerous) cells.

Answer:

c) the spread of cancer cells.