Cell Differentiation and specialisation Flashcards
What is differentiation ?
The process by which a cell changes to become specialised for its job
When are most cells able to differentiate in animals ?
Most differentiation happens while the organism develops, the ability to differentiate is lost at an early stage after the cells become specialised
When are cells able to differentiate in plant cells ?
The cells in plants don’t ever loose the ability to differentiate
In mature animals what types of cells are able to differentiate ?
Skin and blood cells
How are sperm cells specialised ?
They have a long tail and a streamlined head to help it swim to the egg. There are lots of mitochondria to provide energy.
How are nerve cells specialised ?
They are long to cover more distance and have branched connections at the ends to connect to other nerve cells and form a network of throughout the body
How are muscle cells specialised ?
They are long to give space to contract and contain lots of mitochondria to generate energy needed for fast contractions
How are root hair cells specialised ?
They are long and stick out into the soil which gives the plant a big surface area for absorbing water and mineral ions
How is the phloem and xylem cells specialised ?
the cells are long and joined at the end to form tubes, the xylem is hollow and the phloem cells have very few sub cellular structures so that stuff can flow through them
