When H. V. Wilson exposed two species of differently pigmented sponges to a chemical that disrupted intercellular junctions, the cells of the sponges dissociated. Wilson then removed the chemical that caused dissociation and mixed the cells of the two species. He found that the sponges reassembled and that the cells from one species did not interact or form associations with the cells of the other species.
Which of the following statements provides the most plausible explanation for the results of this experiment?
A) The two species of sponge had different enzymes that functioned in the reassembly process.
B) The molecules responsible for cell-cell adhesion (cell junctions) were irreversibly destroyed during the experiment.
C) The molecules responsible for cell-cell adhesion (cell junctions) differed between the two species of sponge.
D) One cell functioned as an organizer for each organism, thereby attracting only cells of the same species.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The most plausible explanation for the cells of one species not interacting with the cells of the other species during reassembly is that the molecules responsible for cell-cell adhesion (cell junctions) differed between the two species. This would mean that cells could only effectively adhere to cells of their own kind, leading to the observed species-specific reassembly.

When H V Wilson Exposed Two Species of Differently Pigmented Sponges to Sponges