Asked by mom

Why do heart cells have different characteristics than skin cells?
Responses

Heart cells reproduce by cell differentiation.
Heart cells reproduce by cell differentiation. - no response given

Heart cells express different genes than skin cells.
Heart cells express different genes than skin cells. - no response given

Heart cells reproduce by mitosis.
Heart cells reproduce by mitosis. - no response given

Heart cells have different DNA than skin cells.
Heart cells have different DNA than skin cells. - no response given

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
Correct answer: Heart cells express different genes than skin cells.

Explanation: Nearly every cell in your body contains the same DNA, but different cell types turn on (express) different sets of genes. Gene regulation — via transcription factors, chromatin state/epigenetic marks and signaling during development (cell differentiation) — causes heart cells to make heart-specific proteins (contractile proteins, ion channels) while skin cells make keratin and other skin proteins.

Why the others are wrong:
- "Heart cells have different DNA than skin cells." — Generally false: somatic cells share the same genome (except for rare mutations).
- "Heart cells reproduce by mitosis." — Mitosis is a mode of cell division used by many cell types; it doesn’t explain different characteristics.
- "Heart cells reproduce by cell differentiation." — Differentiation is the process by which cells become a specific type, not a form of reproduction; it explains how cell identity is set, but the direct reason is differential gene expression.