NAMA : ARYAN DITA APRILLIA P

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Humans are More Likely to Get Cancer than Animals

Cancer is a disease that occurs due to uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells. The main cause of
cancer is mutations in cells. Genetic mutations will make cells abnormal. In fact, the body has its own
mechanism for destroying these abnormal cells. If this mechanism fails, the abnormal cells will grow
uncontrollably.

Basically cancer not only attacks humans but also animals. Research has found cancer can attack
wild animals. For example facial tumor disease in Tasmanian Devil, fibropapillomatosis in turtles and
genital carcinoma in sea lions. However, the prevalence of cancer in humans is estimated to be higher
than in animals.

what causes animals to have a lower risk of developing cancer?

A new study shows why chimpanzees, who share about 96 percent of human DNA, do not have
as many cancers as humans.

Researchers analyzing samples of human and chimpanzee brains found that certain
modifications in the structure of DNA increased the risk of cancer in humans. This DNA modification
called methylation does not change the genetic structure of DNA, but only its expression. The result, it
turns out that the DNA changes in the human brain are smaller than in chimpanzees.

Researchers have also found that most of the genes that undergo changes at low levels are a
driving force for protein binding and cellular metabolism. The researchers explain this is what makes
humans so susceptible to disease.

Another example is in the elephant. Elephants have a hundred times as many cells with the
potential to turn into cancer cells than humans. But why is the death rate from human cancer higher
than that of elephants?

Elephants have the p53 gene that suppresses tumors. The p53 gene can recognize damaged
DNA and induce it into programmed cell deat. So the sick cells will be damaged and digested by the
immune system itself.

This gene actually also exists in humans and almost all mammals, at least one copy of the gene.
The researchers found that the elephants had not one, but 20 copies of the p53 gene in their genetic
makeup. This is what causes elephants to have very little potential to get cancer.

Researchers now want to try to use the elephant's strategy in treating cancer in the human
body. As individuals we must also protect the body to minimize cancer by adopting a healthy lifestyle.