B1.1 Cells - Specialisation Flashcards
Sperm cell
An animal cell with a head containing genetic material for fertilisation and a tail for swimming to the egg cell
Nerve cell
An extended animal cell with many branches that sends electrical messages around the body
Muscle cell
An animal cell that contains sliding protein fibres to contract and allow movement
Red blood cell
An animal cell that has lost its nucleus to make remove for haemoglobin, a protein that binds to oxygen
Intestinal epithelial cell
An animal cell that is responsible for molecule absorption in the intestines, these cells have many tiny folds called microvilli that increase the surface area for absorption
Root hair cell
A plant cell which has a large surface area and thin walls to absorb water and minerals
Xylem cell
A hollow plant cell with thick walls containing lignin to transport water and minerals through the plant
Phloem cell
A living plant cell with sieve plate pores to transport dissolved sugars throughout the plant
Cell differentiation
A process where cells change shape and structure to produce different functions
Undifferentiated cell
A cell that has not yet acquired a special structure or function, such as a stem cell
Cell division of undifferentiated cells
Occurs in developing organisms or embryos prior to cell specialisation
Specialised cell
A cell which has differentiated to produce a new function
Acrosome
Part of the head of a sperm cell that contains digestive enzymes to penetrate the egg cell
Cell
The basic building block of all living organisms, examples include skin cells and nerve cells
Tissue
A group of cells with a similar structure and function, such as muscular tissue or skeletal tissue
