cell specialisation

• Specialized animal cells

  Cells that have adaptations which help them carry out a particular function
• Fertilization

  The process where the genetic information of the ovum and sperm combine
• Muscle cells work together to form muscle tissue
• Specialized cells

  Cells that have a particular structure and function
• Examples of specialized cells

  • Red blood cells
  • Sperm cells
  • Muscle cells
  • Nerve cells
  • Root hair cells
  • Xylem cells
  • Phloem cells
• Undifferentiated cells


  Cells that are the same when an organism is initially growing
• Differentiation


  Cells changing by developing different subcellular structures
• Sperm cell

  • Has a tail to help it swim
  • Has a midpiece with many mitochondria to release energy for movement
  • Has an acrosome with digestive enzymes to break down the egg
  • Has a large nucleus to contain DNA
• Muscle cell

  • Has many mitochondria to release energy for contractions
  • Has special proteins that cause contractions by sliding across each other
  • Can store glycogen to be broken down into glucose for respiration
• Nerve cell

  • Has a long axon to carry electrical impulses
  • Axon covered in myelin to insulate and speed up transmission
  • Has dendrites to connect to other nerve cells (increase surface area for connections)
  • Has nerve endings that release chemical messengers to carry electrical impulses to the next nerve cells
• Root hair cell

  • Has a large surface area protrusion for absorption of water and mineral ions
  • Has a large permanent vacuole to speed up osmosis
  • Has many mitochondria for active transport of mineral ions
• Xylem cell

  • Forms long hollow tubes with removed cell walls for easy movement of water and mineral ions
  • Has spirals of lignin to strengthen the cells and support the plant
• Phloem cell

  • Has sieve plates with holes to allow easy movement of dissolved food up and down the plant
  • Has adjacent companion cells with many mitochondria to provide energy for the movement of dissolved food
• Beta cells in the pancreas produce insulin, a protein that helps regulate blood sugar levels
• Beta cell

  • Has many ribosomes to carry out protein synthesis of insulin