The correct answer is A. Heart cells express different genes than skin cells.
Heart cells and skin cells arise from the same DNA in an organism, but they express different sets of genes, which leads to their distinct characteristics and functions. The differences in gene expression are responsible for the unique properties of heart cells compared to skin cells.
Option B is incorrect because all cells in an organism generally have the same DNA, though they can have different gene expression profiles.
Option C is misleading because both heart cells and skin cells reproduce by mitosis but have different functions due to those different gene expressions.
Option D conflates concepts; while cell differentiation is important in the development of specific cell types, it is ultimately the differential gene expression that gives rise to the characteristics of heart and skin cells.
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