A cell culture is found to have very high levels of proteins. What does this tell you about the cells?

Question

Responses

They have a strengthened cell membrane due to cholesterol content.
They have a strengthened cell membrane due to cholesterol content.

They have a higher than average amount of cytoplasm.
They have a higher than average amount of cytoplasm.

They have ribosomes.
They have ribosomes.

They have the ability to make ATP.

Answer 1

High levels of proteins in a cell culture primarily indicate that the cells have an increased capacity for protein synthesis, which is typically associated with the presence of ribosomes. Ribosomes are the cellular machinery responsible for translating messenger RNA (mRNA) into proteins.

Therefore, the most relevant conclusion you can draw from the presence of very high levels of proteins is:

They have ribosomes.

While other factors like higher cytoplasm volume or increased ATP production (related to metabolic activity) might also be present in cells that synthesize a lot of proteins, the direct correlation with protein levels is most accurately associated with ribosomes.