Carcinogen
A carcinogen is a substance that causes a normal cell to change into a cancerous cell, resulting in uncontrolled cell growth. Cancer cells can multiply unchecked, forming a mass of tissue called a tumor. Sometimes cancerous cells "break off" from a tumor, traveling through the body and multiplying in other organs and tissues.
How carcinogens cause cancer
Carcinogens cause cancer by producing changes (or mutations) in the genetic material, or DNA, of a cell. These mutations result in uncontrolled cell division. A cancer-causing substance can alter the DNA of a cell directly or it can react with other chemicals in the body to form substances...
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