3.5 Cell specialisation and organisation

• why does a cell specialise?

  A cell specialises because the shape and contents of a cell help it to carry out its function
• 3 examples of specialised cells

  • Muscle cells are very active so contain lots of mitochondria in order to produce ATP.
  • Red blood cells have a biconcave shape and no nucleus to maximise space to carry oxygen. They also have lots of haemoglobin.
  • Palisade cells have a long, upright shape and contain chlorophyll to absorb light for photosynthesis.
• Specialised cells are organised into tissues, tissues into organs and organs into organ systems.

  • Tissues (e.g. muscle tissue, xylem tissue).
  • Organs (e.g. the animal heart or plant leaf).
  • Organ systems (e.g. the female reproductive system, which includes the uterus, ovaries, mammary glands and breasts)