Question

(5 pts.) Cells normally don't move from one tissue to another. But in late stages of cancer cells move from one tissue to another. Using what you know about cell connections, explain what would have to happen for cancer cells to move to a new tissue. IF

Answer 1

Ans) Metastasis-is the process by which cancer cells migrate throughout the body.In order to cell move through the body,they must first climb around neighbouring cells.They do this by rearranging their cytoskeleton and attaching to the other cells and the extracellular matrix via proteins on the outside of their plasma membranes.By extending part of the cell forward and letting go at the back end,the cells can migrate forward.The cell can crawl until they hit a blockage which cannot be bypassed. In order to cross cell layer, cancer cell secrete mixture of digestive enzymes that degrade the proteins in the basal lamina and allow them to crawl through.

The protein secreted by cancer cells contain a group of enzyme called matrix metalloproteases (MMP).These enzyme act as molecular scissors to cut through the proteins that inhibit the movement of migrating cancer cell.Once the cell has traversed the basal lamina,they can spread through the body in several way.They can enter the bloodstream by sequeezing between the cells that make up the blood vessels.

Once in blood stream, the cell floats throughout the circulatory system until they find a suitable location to settle and re-enter the tissues.The cells can then begin to grow in this new location,forming a new tumor.