Oncogenes are a group of genes that cause normal cells to become cancerous when they are mutated. Before an oncogene becomes mutated, it is called a proto-oncogene, and it plays a role in regulating normal cell division. Proto-oncogenes are genes that normally help cells grow and divide to make new cells, or to help cells stay alive. When a proto-oncogene mutates or there are too many copies of it, it can become turned on when it is not supposed to be, at which point its now called an oncogene. When this happens, the cell can start to grow out of control, which might lead to cancer. Some oncogenes work like an accelerator pedal in a car, pushing a cell to divide again and again. Others work like a faulty brake in a car parked on a hill, also causing the cell to divide unchecked. Oncogenes are a mutated form of genes that manage cell growth. When these genes change into oncogenes, they cause cells to grow and divide uncontrollably. Oncogenes are powerful, and research shows certain kinds of cancer rely on oncogenes to survive. Understanding this relationship helps medical researchers develop treatments targeting oncogenes and effectively treating the cancers that oncogenes cause and support.