Specialised cells: Cell biology

• Sperm cell


  An animal cell with a head containing genetic material for fertilisation and a tail for swimming to the egg cell

  
• Nerve cell


  An extended animal cell with many branches that sends electrical messages around the body

  
• Muscle cell


  An animal cell that contains sliding protein fibres to contract and allow movement

  
• Red blood cell


  An animal cell that has lost its nucleus to make remove for haemoglobin, a protein that binds to oxygen

  
• Intestinal epithelial cell


  An animal cell that is responsible for molecule absorption in the intestines, these cells have many tiny folds called microvilli that increase the surface area for absorption

  
• Root hair cell

  A plant cell which has a large surface area and thin walls to absorb water and minerals

  
• Xylem cell


  A hollow plant cell with thick walls containing lignin to transport water and minerals through the plant

  
• Phloem cell


  A living plant cell with sieve plate pores to transport dissolved sugars throughout the plant

  
• Cell differentiation


  A process where cells change shape and structure to produce different functions

  
• Undifferentiated cell


  A cell that has not yet acquired a special structure or function, such as a stem cell

  
• Repair


  The restoration of damaged cells
• Replacement


  When new cells replace damaged cells
• Cell division of undifferentiated cells


  Occurs in developing organisms or embryos prior to cell specialisation

  
• Specialised cell


  A cell which has differentiated to produce a new function

  
• Axon


  The longest part of a nerve cell which carries the electrical impulse

  
• Dendrite


  The parts of the nerve cell which makes connections

  
• Myelin sheath


  The fatty insulation of a nerve axon

  
• Acrosome


  Part of the head of a sperm cell that contains digestive enzymes to penetrate the egg cell

  
• Lignin


  A chemical that provides support to xylem cells and prevents the unwanted movement of water into nearby cells