Which type of cells are capable of dividing continuously throughout an organism's life?

• A. Muscle cells
• B. Red blood cells
• C. Neurons
• D. Stem cells

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the concept of cell division: Most cells in the body have a limited capacity to divide, but some specialized cells can divide continuously throughout an organism's life.
2. Learn about stem cells: Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that have the ability to divide and produce more stem cells or differentiate into specialized cell types. This makes them unique compared to other cell types.
3. Compare stem cells to other cell types: Muscle cells, red blood cells, and neurons are specialized cells that generally do not divide continuously. For example, muscle cells and neurons are terminally differentiated, meaning they have lost the ability to divide, while red blood cells are produced by stem cells in the bone marrow but cannot divide themselves.
4. Recognize the role of stem cells in regeneration: Stem cells are found in various tissues, such as the bone marrow, skin, and intestines, where they continuously divide to replace old or damaged cells throughout an organism's life.
5. Conclude that stem cells are the correct answer: Based on their ability to divide continuously and differentiate into various cell types, stem cells are the type of cells capable of dividing throughout an organism's life.