Final answer:
Increased expression of ced-3 will cause ced-9 to lead to the survival of cells that would normally die.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the process of apoptosis, the protein ced-9 plays a crucial role in cell survival. Normally, ced-9 inhibits the activity of another protein called ced-3, which is responsible for initiating apoptosis. When ced-9 is increased or upregulated, it prevents ced-3 activation, leading to the survival of cells that would normally undergo programmed cell death. Therefore, option a) Increased expression of ced-3 is the correct answer.