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Course: High school biology - NGSS > Unit 2

Lesson 1: Cell division and organism growth

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Apply: cell division and organism growth

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The drawings below represent two cell types from a rat. The adipocyte is a fat cell, and the astrocyte is part of the central nervous system.

Which of the following best explains why the two rat cell types are different?

(Choice A)
Because of differential gene expression, the adipocyte and the astrocyte produce different proteins.
(Choice B)
Because the cells have undergone mitosis, the adipocyte and the astrocyte contain different genes.
(Choice C)
Because the cells are the result of a fertilization event, the adipocyte and the astrocyte contain different chromosomes.

Image created with BioRender.com

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Video 6 minutes 37 seconds

Cell division and organism growth