animal cell specialisation

• most animal cells are specialised:

  have adaptations which help them carry out their particular function which is called differentiation
• a sperm cells job is to join with an ovum
• sperm cells adaptations:

  • contain half the DNA of normal adult cell
  • have a long tail which allows them to swim and is streamline
  • packed with mitochondria for energy
  • contains enzymes which allow them to digest their way through the outer layer of the ovum
• a nerve cells job is to send electrical impulses around the body
• nerve cells adaptations:

  • has a long axon to carry electrical impulses from one part of the body to another
  • axon is covered in myelin which insulates the axon and speeds up the transmission of nerve impulses
  • end of axon has synapses: junctions which allow the impulse to pass from one nerve cell to the other
  • dendrites: increase surface area so nerve cells can connect more easily
• a muscle cell can contract ( get shorter)
• muscle cells adaptations:

  • contain protein fibres which can change their length- when a muscle contracts protein fibres shorten, decreasing the lenght of the cell
  • packed full of mitochondria to provide energy for muscle contraction
  • muscle cells work together to form muscle tissue