When cells cause cancer by giving the wrong messages - transcript

When cells cause cancer by giving the wrong messages – transcript

Voiceover – Here is a cell, one of millions in your body.

Inside the cell is the nucleus. This contains our genes, which contain the DNA.

Cells are constantly communicating with each other to help keep the body healthy. They communicate by using chemical signals produced in the body. The chemical signals attach to receptors either on the surface or inside the cell. This triggers a flow of signals inside the cell, sending the message to the nucleus.

Finally the message gets through, telling the cell to switch certain genes on or off. This tells the cell to do something, such as divide or die.

This cell signalling often goes wrong in cancer. For example, the message may be sent too many times. Or the message may not get through at all. Or the message may be sent even though no signalling chemical is attached to the receptors. Or the cancer cells may have extra receptors, boosting the effects of the signal. This means that crucial genes may be switched on or off wrongly.