What does the term 'anaplastic' indicate about a tumor's cells?
Understand the Problem
The question asks about the meaning of the term 'anaplastic' when used to describe a tumor. It requires understanding the characteristics of anaplastic cells in the context of cancer biology, specifically how they relate to cell differentiation and growth.
Answer
Anaplastic indicates that tumor cells are undifferentiated, divide rapidly, and do not resemble normal cells.
The term 'anaplastic' indicates that a tumor's cells are undifferentiated, divide rapidly, and bear little or no resemblance to normal cells. These cells have lost their distinctive traits and often exhibit abnormal characteristics.
Answer for screen readers
The term 'anaplastic' indicates that a tumor's cells are undifferentiated, divide rapidly, and bear little or no resemblance to normal cells. These cells have lost their distinctive traits and often exhibit abnormal characteristics.
More Information
Anaplastic tumors are often aggressive and fast-growing due to the rapid and uncontrolled division of these abnormal cells. The lack of differentiation makes it difficult to determine the origin and behavior of the tumor.
Tips
A common mistake is to think anaplastic refers to a specific type of cancer, while it actually describes the characteristics of the cells within a cancer.
Sources
- Anaplastic Cell - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics - sciencedirect.com
- What is Anaplasia? - GentleCure - gentlecure.com
- Features of Anaplastic Cells - News-Medical - news-medical.net
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