Thread: The Human Being The Human Cell

Originally Posted by juroara

wait, hold on! stop!

This belief that cancer is inevitable because it's genetic is based on genetic determinism. Good news, genetic determinism isn't as true as it used to be. DNA (or genetic cancer) is actually INCAPABLE of activating itself.

Something in the environment has to actually tell the cell "okay, activate cancer!". Understanding that a signal in the environment initiates the cancer gene, we have two questions. What in the environment of the cell makes it activate cancer, and if a signal tells it to become cancerous, can a signal also tell it, stop being cancerous??


Biology of Belief is a most awesome book and informative video that deserves it's own thread. I only hope the DV community is ready for it

...I think you missed my point. In explaining how cancer operates, I meant that cells become cancerous when they garner genetic mutations. Things in the environment can cause these mutations, of course. My point was that these mutations are oftentimes irreversible. Skin cancer, one of the most common forms of cancer, comes about when UV light causes a physical change in the structure of thymine within a cell. When the DNA is cloned and the cell divides, there is an error, and the first mutation begins. After that, the cell goes through several more mutations to become a dangerous cancer colony. It isn't just as simple as "activate" and "deactivate." When you remove a carcinogen, it does not cause cancer to go back to normal.