cell differentiation and specialisation Flashcards
differentiation
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.
when does most differentiation occur
as the organism develops. in most animals, the ability is lost after they become specialised, in an early stage
most plant cells never loose this ability
stem cells
undifferentiated cells
examples of specialised cells
- sperm cells specialised for reproduction
- nerve cells specialised for rapid signalling
- muscle cells specialised for contraction
- root hair cells specialised for water & minerals
- phloem & xylem cells specialised for transporting
substances
sperm cell specialisation
function = to get male DNA to the female DNA
- long tail & streamlined head for swimming
- lots of mitochondria to provide energy
- enzymes in its head to digest through egg cell
membrane
nerve cell specialisation
function = to carry electrical signals around the body
- long cells to cover more distance
- branched connections at the ends to connect to
other nerve cells and from a network across the
body
muscle cell specialisation
function = to contract quickly
- long cells so they have space to contract
- lots of mitochondria to generate energy needed for
contraction
root hair cell specialisation
function = absorb minerals and water
- big surface area for absorbing
- hairs stick out into soil for a big surface area
phloem & xylem cell specialisation
function = transport substances eg. food and water
- cells are long and joined end to end to form tubes
- xylem are hollow in the centre so stuff can flow
through
- phloem have very few subcellular structures so
stuff can flow through