The Role of Genes in Cancer
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) describes genes as “nature’s blueprints for every living thing.” Genes control our heredity and determine how a body functions and grows. But, the environment also has a role. For instance, genes can give a male the ability to grow six feet tall. But he may not reach that height if he had poor nutrition as a child.
Genes are the working units of DNA. DNA is in all living cells. It carries genetic information needed for the cell to live and grow. The DNA is duplicated and passes on to the next new cells during cell division.
Genes are inside the cell’s nucleus on any of the 46 chromosomes in the human body. Genes carry the instructions for making proteins, all of which have different jobs to do for the cell.
Cancer is a disease of those genes that control cell growth and division. Some genes may prevent cancer while others may help cause it. Sometimes changes, called mutations, occur within a gene.