Final answer:
The numbers "335" and "289" are mean weight gains for control and experimental groups of young rats, respectively, in an experiment, indicating that the toxic compound may have affected the rats' growth.
Step-by-step explanation:
The numbers "335" and "289" represent the mean weight gain of two groups of young rats subjected to different dietary conditions in a controlled experiment. The control group, which was fed a normal diet, had a mean weight gain of 335 grams, while the experimental group, which received a diet with 2500 parts per million of a toxic material, had a mean weight gain of 289 grams. This difference in mean weight gain suggests that the toxic compound could have a negative effect on the rats' growth over the 8-week period.