Asked by CHRIS

Which of the following describe a stem cell? Select three options.

a cell that is able to develop into a variety of specialized cells
a cell that is able to self-renew from differentiated cells
a specialized cell that results in differentiation
a specialized cell that results in self-renewal
a cell that divides by meiosis to produce new cells

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
Correct choices: only (1) is clearly correct as written.

Explanation:
- "a cell that is able to develop into a variety of specialized cells" — True. (This is the potency property of stem cells.)
- "a cell that is able to self-renew from differentiated cells" — As written this is incorrect/misleading. Stem cells are able to self-renew (produce more stem cells), but they do not "self‑renew from differentiated cells." If the intended meaning was simply "a cell that is able to self‑renew," that would be true (stem cells self‑renew).
- "a specialized cell that results in differentiation" — False. Specialized cells are the product of differentiation, not stem cells.
- "a specialized cell that results in self-renewal" — False. Specialized (differentiated) cells generally do not self‑renew like stem cells.
- "a cell that divides by meiosis to produce new cells" — False. Stem cells divide by mitosis; meiosis produces gametes.

So, only option 1 (and option 2 if reworded to "able to self‑renew") correctly describe stem cells.