Cell differentiation and specialisation

• Cell Differentiation


  The process by which a cell changes to become specialised for its job
• Cells

  • They don't all look the same
  • They have different structures to suit their different functions
• Cell Differentiation

  1. Cells change

  2. They develop different internal structures

  3. They turn into different types of cells

  4. This allows them to carry out specific functions
• In most animal cells, the ability to differentiate is then lost at an early stage, after they become specialised
• Lots of plant cells don't ever lose this ability to differentiate
• Undifferentiated cells

  Cells that have not yet become specialised, also called stem cells
• Sperm cells

  • They have a long tail and streamlined head to help them swim to the egg
  • They have lots of mitochondria to provide energy
  • They carry enzymes in their head to digest through the egg cell membrane
• Nerve cells

  • They are long to cover more distance
  • They have branched connections at their ends to connect to other nerve cells and form a network
• Muscle cells

  • They are long to have space to contract
  • They contain lots of mitochondria to generate the energy needed for contraction
• Root hair cells

  • They grow into long "hairs" that stick out into the soil, giving the plant a big surface area for absorbing water and minerals
• Phloem and xylem cells

  • They form tubes to transport substances like food and water around plants
  • Phloem cells have very few subcellular structures so stuff can flow through them
  • Xylem cells are hollow in the centre