plant cell specialisation

• Root hair cells


  • Increase the surface area of the root to absorb water and dissolved minerals more effectively
  • Do not contain chloroplasts as they are underground and do not need to carry out photosynthesis
• Xylem cells


  • Have very thick walls containing lignin to provide support
  • Have broken down end walls to form long tubes allowing water and dissolved minerals to flow easily
  • Have no internal structures like nucleus, cytoplasm, vacuole or chloroplasts
• Phloem cells


  • Consist of two types: phloem vessel cells and companion cells
  • Phloem vessel cells have no nucleus and limited cytoplasm, with porous end walls (sieve plates) to allow dissolved sugars to move through
  • Companion cells are connected to phloem vessel cells and provide them with energy from their mitochondria
• Specialized plant cells include root hair cells, xylem cells, and phloem cells
• Specialization of plant cells is called differentiation
• Key plant cell structures are chloroplasts, cellulose cell wall, and permanent vacuole