What is the Significance of rRNA Gene Clusters in Histology?
rRNA gene clusters are significant in histology because they are essential for the production of ribosomes, which, in turn, are necessary for protein synthesis. The abundance of ribosomes is a key indicator of a cell's metabolic activity. Cells with high rates of protein synthesis, such as hepatocytes and neurons, exhibit prominent nucleoli packed with rRNA gene clusters. Therefore, the size and number of nucleoli can provide insights into the functional state of the cell.