The motto of most cells is "Adhere or Die!" If non-adhering cells don't die, what kind of cells can they become?

The statement that "Adhere or Die!" emphasizes the importance of adhesion for cell survival. In normal physiological conditions, many cells need to attach to a suitable substrate or extracellular matrix to receive survival signals. When cells detach and do not re-adhere, they typically undergo programmed cell death or anoikis.

In circumstances where non-adhering cells do not die, they can continue to proliferate and evade these critical adhesion-based survival cues. This abnormal behavior is characteristic of cancer cells, which often gain the ability to survive in suspension or even grow without the usual anchorage dependence required for normal cells. This lack of dependence on adhesion can lead to uncontrolled growth and invasion into surrounding tissues, hallmark features of cancer.

The other options refer to normal, differentiated cell types. Animal cells, bone cells, and skin cells generally require adherence for proper function and survival, aligning with standard cellular behaviors rather than the aberrant characteristics seen in cancerous cells. Thus, the association of non-adhering cells that avoid death with the potential transformation into cancer cells is a significant and well-studied phenomenon in tissue engineering and oncology.