Cell Differentiation

• What is cell differentiation 


  Cell differentiation is the process by which cells become specialised to form specific functions in an organism
• What is the difference between cell differentiation and cell specialisation


  Differentiation makes a cell specialised to do its specific function
• Why dont all cells look the same

  They all have different structures to fit their different functions
• Why do cells differentiate 


  To become specialised
• What happens to a cell as they develop into a differentiated cell


  They develop different sub cellular structures and turn into different types of cells to carry out its specific function
• When does most differentiation occur 


  As an organism develops
• What happens to the ability of most animal cells to differentiate after they’ve became specialised 


  It is lost at an early stage of development
• Plant cells take longer to differentiate
• Why do plant cells never loose the ability to differentiate 


  Many plant cells do not ever become specialised and so continue to have the ability to differentiate
• What are cells mainly differentiated for in mature animals 


  They’re used for repairing and replacing cells (for example skin and blood cells)
• What is an undifferentiated cell also known as


  A stem cell
• What enables different types of cells to perform specific functions within an organism?

  Structural differences between different types of cells
• What is cell differentiation?

  It is the process by which a cell changes to become specialised
• What are unspecialised cells called?

  Undifferentiated cells
• What happens to cells as an organism develops?

  Cells differentiate to form different types of cells
• Do all cells in a multicellular organism contain the same genetic information?

  Yes, almost all cells contain the same genetic information
• How does the role of a particular cell affect gene usage?

  Only some of the total sum of genes in a particular cell are used to control its development
• What changes occur in a cell when it differentiates?

  It develops a structure and composition of subcellular structures for a specific function
• What must happen to the cytoplasm and cell membrane of an undifferentiated cell to form a nerve cell?

  They must elongate to form connections over large distances
• How do cells differentiate in a multicellular organism?

  • Cells differentiate to form specialised cells
  • In animals, most cells differentiate early in development
  • Cell division is mainly for repair and replacement in mature animals
• What happens to animal cells after they become specialised?

  They lose their ability to differentiate
• What are adult stem cells?

  Cells that retain the ability to differentiate throughout the life of the animal
• What is the main role of adult stem cells?

  They are mainly involved in replacing and repairing cells
• How do plant cells differ from animal cells in terms of differentiation?

  • Many types of plant cells retain the ability to fully differentiate throughout the life of the plant
  • This ability is not restricted to early stages of development