When considering tumor morphology, changes in a cell population's characteristics are evaluated in order to determine if the tumor is malignant or benign. Generally, what are the characteristics of a malignant cell?
A)Uniform in size, with a uniform nucleus: cytoplasm ratio
B)Strongly resemble the cell of origin
C)Variation in cell size and shape, increased cell exfoliation, and increased nuclear size
D)Uniform population of lymphoid cells

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Variation in cell size and shape, increased cell exfoliation, and increased nuclear size are the characteristics of a malignant cell. Other traits are increased mitosis with abnormal mitotic figures and large (often multiple) nucleoli of irregular and abnormal shape. There are exceptions to this rule, so variation in morphology is not a reliable indicator for some types of malignancies.

When Considering Tumor Morphology, Changes in a Cell Population's Characteristics