Question

Assertion: Intake of potato chips and french fries may induce cancer development.
Reason: On heating, their carbohydrates change into a carcinogenic chemical called acrylamide.
A. Both Assertion and Reason are correct and Reason is the correct explanation for the Assertion.
B. Both Assertion and Reason are correct and Reason is not the correct explanation for the Assertion.
C. Assertion is correct but Reason is incorrect.
D. Both Assertion and Reason are incorrect.
E. If the assertion is false but reason is true.

Answer 1

Cancer is a disease characterized by breaking down the regulatory mechanism of normal cells, uncontrolled division of cells and in the movement of proliferating cells to other parts of the body.

Complete answer:
Slow changes occurring at molecular and cellular levels for the latter to become cancerous.
The various types of cancers on the basis of tissue affected are carcinomas, melanomas, sarcomas, leukemia and lymphomas.
Physical, chemical and biological agents which cause cancer are known as carcinogens. On the basis of their mode of action they are of three types:
-Oncogenic transformations- They change the genetic material from non-oncogenic state to oncogenic state, for example- chemicals and radiations.
-Tumour promoters- They are actually carcinogens that promote tumour formation through proliferation of cells that have already undergone oncogenic transformations, for example, some growth factors and hormones.
-Tumour viruses- They are viruses which are suspected of causing cancer through oncogenic transformation. Both DNA and RNA viruses are suspected to do it.
Eating fast foods like French fries and potato chips may cause lung cancer as these food items contain acrylamide which on heating at very high temperature becomes harmful. This acrylamide is a carcinogenic substance. The acrylamide is present in many processed and baked foods and it is related with severe disorders like neurodegenerative disorders and cancers.
So, the correct answer is “Option A”.

Note: Cancer is becoming a major cause of death in the modern world as most of the infectious diseases are being controlled by vaccination and drugs but cancer is a non-infectious disease and there are no vaccinations available for it.