Q.91 Which ONE of the following is NOT a characteristic of a cancer cell?
(A) Increase in cell motility (B) Loss of contact inhibition
(C) Decrease in apoptosis (D) Uncontrolled meiosis

The correct answer is (D) Uncontrolled meiosis. Cancer cells exhibit uncontrolled proliferation through mitosis, not meiosis, which is specific to gamete production in germ cells.​

Option Analysis

(A) Increase in cell motility

Cancer cells gain enhanced motility, enabling invasion into surrounding tissues and metastasis. This arises from changes in cytoskeleton and adhesion molecules.​

(B) Loss of contact inhibition

Normal cells stop dividing upon touching each other, but cancer cells lose this inhibition, leading to multilayered growth and tumor formation. This is a core hallmark driven by altered signaling pathways.​

(C) Decrease in apoptosis

Cancer cells resist programmed cell death (apoptosis), surviving DNA damage and stress that would kill normal cells. Mutations in p53 or Bcl-2 family proteins contribute to this evasion.​

(D) Uncontrolled meiosis

Meiosis produces haploid gametes and does not occur in somatic cancer cells, which divide via dysregulated mitosis. While some meiotic genes may express aberrantly, uncontrolled meiosis is not a cancer trait.​​

Cancer cells differ from normal cells due to specific hallmarks like uncontrolled growth and evasion of death mechanisms, key topics for CSIR NET Life Sciences aspirants studying molecular biology and oncology. Understanding what is not a characteristic of a cancer cell helps clarify myths and solidify concepts for competitive exams. This guide breaks down the options with scientific backing.

Core Characteristics of Cancer Cells

Cancer arises from somatic mutations leading to traits outlined in Hanahan and Weinberg’s hallmarks: sustaining proliferative signals, evading growth suppressors, resisting cell death, and enabling invasion. Cells pile up due to lost regulation, forming tumors.​

• Increased motility: Promotes metastasis via epithelial-mesenchymal transition.​

• Loss of contact inhibition: Allows endless piling, unlike normal monolayer growth.​

• Decreased apoptosis: Upregulated anti-apoptotic proteins like Bcl-2 ensure survival.​

Why Not Uncontrolled Meiosis?

Meiosis halves chromosome number for gametes and is absent in cancer’s mitotic divisions. Cancer features hyperactive mitosis from cyclin dysregulation, not meiotic reduction. Rare meiotic gene expression aids instability but does not define “uncontrolled meiosis.”​

Exam Relevance for CSIR NET

For questions on characteristic of a cancer cell, recall mitosis drives proliferation while meiosis stays germ-line specific. Practice with hallmarks to ace oncology sections.​