[Campbell Biology P.419] What is meant by "differential gene expression" in multicellular or... | Practice Question

What is meant by "differential gene expression" in multicellular organisms?

  • A: Different cell types within the same organism contain different sets of genes.
  • B: All genes in all cells of an organism are expressed at all times.
  • C: Different genes are expressed by cells with the same genome, leading to specialized cell functions.
  • D: Only 'housekeeping' genes are expressed in all cell types.

Explanation

The text defines differential gene expression as 'the expression of different genes by cells with the same genome.' This process allows cells to specialize and perform distinct roles within a multicellular organism, despite having identical genetic material.