Which of the following statements about tumor suppressor genes is false?

The statement about tumor suppressor genes that is false is that cells with one functional copy of a tumor suppressor gene will usually proliferate faster than normal cells. Tumor suppressor genes are responsible for regulating cell growth and preventing uncontrolled cell division. When there is one functional copy of a tumor suppressor gene, the usual regulatory checks on the cell cycle may be compromised, but not to the degree that leads to faster proliferation compared to normal cells.

In fact, the presence of only one functional copy often results in a loss of proper control over cell growth, but the effects are generally not characterized by faster proliferation. Instead, cells might have a higher tendency to accumulate mutations or experience other cellular stresses that do not promote faster growth compared to normal diploid cells.

When discussing the other options, it’s true that gene amplification of a tumor suppressor gene is less dangerous than that of a proto-oncogene because proto-oncogenes, when amplified, can lead to unregulated cell growth and cancer, while amplified tumor suppressor genes might not effectively control cell growth due to their inherent function. Homozygous inactivation of tumor suppressor genes leads to enhanced cell survival and proliferation because the protective effects that suppress excessive cell division are entirely lost. Additionally,