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Which two processes are important for the maintenance of health? (A) Mitosis and meiosis (B) Mutation and mitosis (C) Mitosis and cell differentiation (D) Meiosis and cell differentiation - HSC - SSCE Biology - Question 12 - 2006 - Paper 1
Question 12
Which two processes are important for the maintenance of health? (A) Mitosis and meiosis (B) Mutation and mitosis (C) Mitosis and cell differentiation (D) Meiosis an... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Which two processes are important for the maintenance of health? (A) Mitosis and meiosis (B) Mutation and mitosis (C) Mitosis and cell differentiation (D) Meiosis and cell differentiation - HSC - SSCE Biology - Question 12 - 2006 - Paper 1
Step 1
Identify the important processes
Answer
To answer this question, we first need to understand the processes mentioned in each option.
- Mitosis: This is the process by which a cell divides to produce two identical daughter cells, essential for growth and tissue repair.
- Meiosis: This is a type of cell division that reduces the chromosome number by half, producing four gametes, which is crucial for sexual reproduction.
- Mutation: This refers to changes in the DNA sequence, which can lead to variations but is not a process that directly maintains health.
- Cell differentiation: This is the process by which a less specialized cell becomes a more specialized cell type, vital for the functioning of organisms.
Given these explanations, let's determine which pair of processes supports health maintenance.
Step 2
Evaluate the options
Answer
Next, we evaluate the options:
- Option (A) Mitosis and meiosis: While mitosis is important, meiosis is not directly related to health maintenance in somatic cells.
- Option (B) Mutation and mitosis: Mutation can adversely affect health, making this pair inappropriate.
- Option (C) Mitosis and cell differentiation: Both processes are critical for maintaining tissue health and functionality—mitosis allows for cell replication and replacement, while differentiation enables specialization necessary for diverse functions in tissues.
- Option (D) Meiosis and cell differentiation: Although differentiation is important, meiosis does not directly relate to health maintenance in the same way mitosis does.
Thus, the best choice is Option (C).