Table 1 Examples of questions containing a misconception
From: Uncovering students’ misconceptions by assessment of their written questions
Student’s question | Pathologist’s comment |
|---|---|
Can cancer form leukaemia as a metastasis? | Leukaemia is a form of cancer that is not formed from a solid tumour. Since leukaemia is, in itself, already diffusely spread, the term ‘metastasis’ is inappropriate. |
How does an HPV virus implement its RNA in the cell’s nucleus? | HPV is a DNA virus. Its DNA may be inserted in the cell’s DNA. With RNA as such, this is impossible. |
How do benign lesions of the uterine cervix influence tumour suppressor genes? | In benign lesions, tumour suppressor genes function in the normal cell cycle by regulating cell growth and differentiation. Cells cannot influence these genes to become abnormal. |