1.4-1.5 Specialisation In Animal And Plant Cells

Question 1

Describe a sperm cell

Answer 1

Their function is to transport the male DNA to the egg and found in the testes
Its adaptations are
* A long tail to swim to the egg
* Lots of mitochondria to transfer to provide energy from respiration for the sperm to swim long distances
* An acrosome at the front of the head. Stores digestive enzymes breaking down outer layer of egg.
*A large nucleus contains genetic info

Question 2

Describe a nerve cell

Answer 2

• The function of the nerve cell is to carry nerve impulses around your body found in nervous system
• Nerve endings or synapses pass impulses
• Contain lots of mitochondria to make transmitter chemicals
• The long axon carries nerve impulse
• Dendrites to make connections to other nerve cells

Question 3

Describe a muscle cell

Answer 3

• The function of muscle cells is to contract and relax to move bones in the skeleton
• Found in the muscles
• Special proteins slide over each other making fibres contract
• Many mitochondria transfer energy
• Store glycogen broken down and used in cellular respiration to transfer energy needed fibres to contract

Question 4

Describe Root hair cells

Answer 4

• Root hair cells absorb minerals and water from the soil
• increase the surface area for water to move into cell
• Large permanent vacuole speeds up movement
• Mitochondria transfer energy

Question 5

Photosynthetic cells (palisade cell)

Answer 5

Plants can make their own food by photosynthesis found in top of leaf

Chloroplasts contain chlorophyll that trap light
Positioned in continuous layers to absorb as much light
Large permanent vacuole keeps cell rigid

Question 6

Describe xylem cells

Answer 6

Transport tissue in plants and carry water and minerals

• ligin builds up in spirals in cell walls, they are very strong and help withstand pressure of water to support plant stem
• Cells die and form long hollow tubes allow water and mineral ions

Question 7

Describe phloem cells

Answer 7

Dissolved food move up and down and found in stem

• Cell walls between the cell break down form special sieve plates.
• Allow water carrying dissolved food to move freely up
• Lose a lot of their internal structures
• Mitochondria transfer energy needed to move dissolved food up and down the plant in phloem

Question 8

How does a cell become specialized

Answer 8

Differentiate
- Most animal cells and plant cells differentiate at an early stage.

• In mature animals, cell division is mainly restricted to repair and replacement

Question 9

Cone cells are specialised nerve cells in the eye. They contain a chemical that changes in coloured light. As a result of the change, an impulse is sent along another nerve cell to the brain. Cone cells usually contain many mitochondria. Suggest why this is an important adaptation.

Answer 9

Transmitter chemicals are required to pass impulse from cone cell to another nerve cell and then on to brain.
The many mitochondria supply energy from cellular respiration needed to make transmitter chemicals.

Question 10

Suggest why a trunk of a tree cannot carry out photosynthesis

Answer 10

Cell not exposed to sunlight and therefore not adapted to photosynthesise (not photosynthetic).