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Cancer Mutations definitions

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  • Cancer
    Abnormal cell growth and proliferation resulting from accumulated genetic changes disrupting normal cellular controls.
  • Mutation
    A permanent alteration in DNA sequence, which can impact cell behavior and contribute to disease if occurring in key genes.
  • Passenger Mutation
    A genetic change present in cancer cells that does not influence tumor development or progression.
  • Driver Mutation
    A genetic alteration that directly contributes to abnormal cell growth, promoting tumor formation.
  • Oncogene
    A mutated gene variant that dominantly promotes uncontrolled cell division, leading to cancerous phenotypes.
  • Proto-oncogene
    A normal gene that, when altered, can become a cancer-promoting variant driving abnormal cell proliferation.
  • Tumor Suppressor
    A gene whose normal function is to inhibit cell division and prevent tumor formation; loss leads to unchecked growth.
  • Retinoblastoma Protein
    A transcription factor that, when functional, prevents eye tumors; its mutation is linked to childhood eye cancer.
  • p53
    A transcription factor regulating many genes; its loss disrupts cell cycle control and enables tumor development.
  • Transcription Factor
    A protein that controls the expression of multiple genes, often influencing cell fate and response to mutations.
  • Allele
    A variant form of a gene, which can be normal or mutated, influencing traits and disease risk.
  • Recessive Allele
    A gene variant whose effect is only seen when both copies in a cell are altered, as in some inherited cancers.
  • Somatic Cell
    A non-reproductive cell where most cancer-related mutations accumulate, not passed to offspring.
  • Signal Transduction Pathway
    A series of molecular events, often involving proteins like Ras, that transmit signals controlling cell behavior.