When cells divide without control
Most cells in your body are not dividing right now. Why do they stop?
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The rule
Many animal cells stop dividing when they touch other cells.
Normal cells divide in a controlled way. Many animal cells stop dividing when they touch their neighbours. Cancer cells lose this control and keep dividing.
A healthy cell works for a while, then dies. A new cell replaces it. A tumour is a lump of cells that divided without control. Cancer is a disease. Its cells divide without control and harm the body.
- A few cells in a dish divide.
- The dish fills. The cells touch.
- Normal cells stop dividing.
- A cell without control keeps dividing. Cells pile up.
Not every tumour is cancer. Some are harmless and some are not. A doctor can tell which. Found a lump? Tell a trusted adult or a doctor.
Cell death is normal too. An embryo is a baby in its earliest stage. Some of its cells die as part of normal growth. That shapes the fingers.