Asked by paisley

A student athlete notices that their fingernails grow continuously throughout the sports season, requiring regular trimming. What does this reveal about cell division in the nail matrix where nails develop?
Question 9 options:

Nail cells divide only during athletic seasons when physical activity increases

Old nail cells transform into new ones without actual cellular reproduction

Nail growth doesn't involve cell division, just expansion of existing cells

The nail matrix has continuous cell division producing new nail cells that push outward

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
The correct choice is:

The nail matrix has continuous cell division producing new nail cells that push outward.

Explanation: Nail growth comes from mitosis in the nail (germinal) matrix; new keratinized cells are produced continuously and older cells are pushed outward as the nail plate. The other options are incorrect because nails don't grow only during athletic seasons, old cells don't transform into new ones without division, and growth isn't just expansion of existing cells.