• Question: Are cancer cells solids or liquids?

    Asked by sorchandanniirock to Gioia, Iain, Jo, Leo, Mariam on 16 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Mariam Orme

      Mariam Orme answered on 16 Jun 2010:

      Cells are little bags of stuff – lots of molecules and tiny structures swimming around in a liquid we call the cytosol, all held in my the cell membrane. So all cancer cells, like all other cells, are essentially solid things.

      We tend to talk about “solid” tumours, which give you a lump (caused by the cancer cells sticking together), as opposed to cancers of the blood (leukaemias), which are generally individual cancer cells floating in your bloodstream.

    • Photo: Joanna Watson

      Joanna Watson answered on 16 Jun 2010:

      I’m glad that Mariam has given a good answer to this question – it’s too difficult for me 🙁

Comments