THIS CHAPTER IN CONTEXT
Cancer describes a variety of diseases characterized by uncontrolled cell proliferation,
but cancer is basically a disease of damaged DNA. This chapter builds on the previous
chapter covering DNA replication by describing how replication errors and other
forms of DNA damage are repaired. If the damage is not repaired and if it affects
a gene controlling cell division or cell death, cancer may result. Similarly,
certain genetic defects predispose to cancer. This chapter presents a few of the
proteins involved in recognizing DNA damage, repairing it, and signaling the cell
to stop growing. These processes illustrate that DNA is not inert but is a biochemically
active molecule.
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