Which best compares self-renewal and differentiation? Both are processes that are the result of stem cell division. Both create more of the same types of cells. Both form specialized cells. Both depend on gene expression.

Self-renewal and differentiation-both depend on gene expression.

Self-renewal is the process by which stem cells divide to make more stem cells. Self-renewal programs involve gene expression of:

proto-oncogenes (promoting self-renewal),

tumour-suppressing genes (limiting self-renewal), and

a care-taking tumour suppressing genes (maintaining genomic integrity).

Differentiation is a process where a cell changes from one cell type to another, usually more specialized type (from one pattern of gene expression to another). Most common, stem cells differentiate, but progenitor cells (more specialized than stem cells) also can do it. Changes that occure during the process of differentiation are controlled by gene expression and epigenetics, so each new cell type is defined by its particular set of regulated gene expression.