[Campbell Biology P.516] According to Dr. Cassandra Extavour's research interests, what is a... | Practice Question

According to Dr. Cassandra Extavour's research interests, what is a fundamental mystery addressed by "evo-devo"?

  • A: Why different organisms possess varying numbers of chromosomes.
  • B: How the same set of genetic instructions can lead to diverse cell types and vastly different organisms.
  • C: The process by which single-celled organisms evolved into multicellular forms.
  • D: Why some genes are more susceptible to mutation than others.

Explanation

The text explicitly states Dr. Extavour's interest in "understanding the genes that control embryonic development and how the function of those genes has changed in different organisms due to evolution." The core mystery is articulated as: "What's mysterious is, since every cell in the body has the same set of instructions, why aren't they all doing the same thing?" This points directly to how identical genetic information can lead to diverse cellular and organismal outcomes.