Question

A fertilized human egg will progress through a course of embryonic development that leads to the formation of approximately 250 distinct types of cells. Some cells become part of a particular digestive gland, others part of a large skeletal muscle, others part of a bone, and so forth. This is an example of which of the following?

1) Signaling
2) Metabolism
3) Conjugation
4) Differentiation

Answer 1

A fertilized human egg's development into various cell types is an example of cellular differentiation, where embryonic stem cells specialize to form different tissues and organs.

Step-by-step explanation:

A fertilized human egg developing into approximately 250 distinct types of cells, with each type carrying out specific functions, is an example of cellular differentiation. This process is crucial for the formation of different organs and tissues in the body. Starting with a single zygote, the embryo undergoes rapid mitotic cycles and establishes three germ layers: ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm. These layers give rise to various tissues and organs, such as nervous tissue from ectoderm and muscle tissue from mesoderm. Embryonic stem cells in these layers respond to location-specific chemical signals, leading to the expression of certain genes and the suppression of others, which results in their specialization.