Can Plants Get Cancer? How Do They Control Tumor Growths From Infection?

Cancers are a great concern to humans. According to the World Health Organization, cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for almost 10 million deaths in 2020.

(Photo: Pixabay/ Pasja1000)

How Does Cancer Form?

Cancer is a disease caused by certain changes to an organism's genes, starting in one cell or a small group of cells in the body. It arises from the disruption of normal cellular functions through genetic and epigenetic modifications.

Most cell components are replaceable if damaged, but DNA is a crucial exception. Sometimes, when the DNA in the cells is changed or mutated, the cells start to divide rapidly and uncontrollably. The rapid division of cells can cause cancerous growths to spread around the body and affect various organs, affecting bodily functions.

DNA mutations can be caused by different infections, including bacterial, viral, or fungal. In mammals, DNA mutations are sometimes due to environmental factors like exposure to UV rays or carcinogenic chemicals. These factors cause the DNA within an organism's cells to mutate more frequently than usual. Such changes can be fatal to animals because their cells are highly specialized and inflexible.

Can Plants Get Cancer?

Like animal cells, plant cells mutate. They can and do suffer from tumors as the cells become disorganized and divide uncontrollably. However, they may not get cancer as we think of it.

In plants, mutations can be more likely in certain hybrids where two plant varieties have been crossed or cross-pollinated. Plant researchers and crop breeders use methods that induce DNA mutations when studying and developing crops.

Although plants are also at risk of developing tumors, they are usually not as dangerous for them as it would be for a human or other animal. By definition, cancer requires the tumor to pose a serious threat to an organism's health, and it does not often cause major problems in plants.

This resilience is due to the basic difference in the structure of the cells in plants compared to animals. In plants and animals, organelles like nuclei are all contained within a plasma membrane. Outside this membrane, plants possess a second layer called the cell wall, which is much more rigid than the plasma membrane.

The cell wall maintains tight adhesions or connections between individual plant cells, creating a stronger matrix between plant and animal cells. This means that cells cannot escape and metastasize quickly when infected. Moreover, the cell wall helps the cells remain organized, preventing them from physically growing too large.

Due to the strong adhesion between plant cells, the plant must coordinate any growth or cell division across a group of cells, not by an individual mutated cell. This means that for a tumor to form, it must be created through a collective deregulation of cell division rather than by a single mutated cell, making tumor formation much more uncommon.

In short, tumors or abnormal cell division may not kill the plant due to the presence of a cell wall. However, it can hinder functions and development, which are important for agriculture and industry.