OCR General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) Biology Practice Exam

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What do animals do after reaching maturity regarding stem cells?

They continue to grow
They stop growing
They develop more stem cells
They only replace old cells

The correct answer is: They stop growing

When animals reach maturity, they typically stop growing in terms of overall body size. This cessation of growth is linked to developmental changes that occur as they mature. The body reaches a certain size and then maintains that size throughout adulthood. While some animals may still undergo changes due to weight gain or loss, height increase ceases once maturity is reached. At maturity, the role of stem cells shifts. Instead of contributing to growth, these cells primarily focus on the maintenance and repair of tissues. This means that while animals do not develop a significant number of new stem cells, they can still replace old or damaged cells using the existing population of stem cells. In mature animals, the stem cells are crucial for healing and regeneration, rather than growth.