Question

A scientist is comparing cancerous cells with noncancerous cells.

Answer 1

The scientist should notice that the cancer cells have a higher rate of cell division and  have a lower response to inhibiting factors. Cell groups that are cancerous should  have a lower percent of cells in interphase than noncancerous cells.

Explanation:

The general characteristics of cancerous cells are defined by the ‘hallmarks of cancer’ like ‘enable replicative immortality, activate invasion and metastasis, resist cell death, evade growth suppressors’ etc. All these facts prove that they grow and divide at a higher rate and undergo uncontrollable mitotic cell division leading to proliferative invasion.

The cancerous cells also show low or no response to inhibiting factors like growth suppressors like p53, cyclins and other anti-tumor drugs.

The number of cancer cells in interphase is lower than noncancerous cells because interphase is a phase of cell growth, development and differentiation. Cancer cells undergo uncontrollable mitosis and more time is spent after the interphase to facilitate rapid cell division rather than growth or development.