Final answer:
Elliptical galaxies are expected to have older stars compared to the central regions of spiral galaxies, with very little to no star formation occurring.
Step-by-step explanation:
Compared to the central regions of spiral galaxies, elliptical galaxies are expected to have older stars. Spiral galaxies, like our Milky Way, often have areas of active star formation within their disks, indicating the presence of young stars and interstellar matter such as gas and dust. In contrast, elliptical galaxies mainly contain old stars and exhibit very little to no star formation. They are sometimes referred to as 'red and dead' because they consist largely of older red stars, and little or no new star formation is observed. This is because elliptical galaxies have used up most of their interstellar gas to form stars early in their lifetime, which usually occurred billions of years ago.