cell differentiation and specialisation

• cells differentiate to become specialised
• differentiation is the process by which a cell changes to become specialised for its job
• as cells change they develop different subcellular structures and turn into different types of cells , this allows them to carry out specific functions
• sperm cells are specialised for

  reproduction
• nerve cells are specialised for

  rapid signalling
• muscle cells are specialised for

  contraction
• root hair cells are specialised for

  absorbing water and minerals
• phloem and xylem cells are specialised for

  transporting substances
• sperm cell

  • the function of a sperm cell is to get the male dna to the female dna
  • it has a long tail and a streamline head to help it swim to the egg
  • there are a lot of mitochondria in the cell to provide the energy needed
  • it also carries enzymes in its head to digest through the egg cell membrane
• nerve cells

  • the function of nerve cells is to carry electrical signals from one part of the body to another
  • these cells are long (to cover more distance) and have branched connections at their ends to connect to other nerve cells and form a network throughout the body
• muscle cells

  • the function of a muscle cell is to contract quickly
  • these cells are long (so they have space to contract) and contain lots of mitochondria to generate the energy needed for contraction
• root hair cells

  • root hair cells are cells on the surface of plant roots, which grow into long "hairs" that stick out the soil
  • this gives the plant a big surface area for absorbing water and mineral ions from the soil
• phloem and xylem cells

  •  phloem and xylem cells form phloem and xylem tubes, which transport substances such as food and water around plants
  • to form the tubes, the cells are long and joined end to end
  • xylem cells are hollow in the centre and phloem cells have very few sub cellular structures, so tat stuff can flow through them
• some cells are undifferentiated cells they are called 


  stem cells
• • most differentiation occurs as an organism develops
  • in most animal cells, the ability to differentiate is lost at an early stage , after they become specialised
  • however lots of plant cells don't ever loose this ability
• the cells that differentiate in mature animals are mainly used for repairing and replacing cells such as skin or blood cells