Cell Specialisation Flashcards
What is Cell Differentation
- The process by which a cell changes
- To become more specialised
- To perform specific functions within an organism
What is cell specialisation
- The process by which a cell develops specific functions, organelles and structures
- To carry out specific tasks within an organism
- Therefore specialisation happens due to differentiation
Why does specialisation happen in multicellular organisms?
- To perform basic functions so that the organism can function efficiently - ultimately to stay alive
- But there are lots of these functions in the body to serve and no one cell can do all of them
In what ways can a cell be specialised?
- It can have a specific shape that suits its role
- It can have more/fewer of an organelle/structure
- It can have bigger/smaller organelles/structures or with a greater/smaller surface area
- It can lack the organelle/structure altogether
Why have the cells of multicellular organisms evolved to become more and more suited to one specific function?
So that the whole organism is efficiently functioning.
How do cells develop from identical, undifferentiated embryonic stem cells to specialised cells?
By a process controlled by Genes:
- Each cell contains the genes needed for it to develop into any kind of cell that the organism needs to have
- But at any one time only some of these genes are expressed; the rest are switched off.
- Different genes are switched on in each type of specialised cell (eg you cant produce sperm from your skin)
Stem cell definition
- An undifferentiated cell which can undergo cell division to produce many more identical cells
- Can differentiate at any point
Name the 3 types of stem cells
1) Embryonic stem cells (found in a growing embryo - can differentiate into any type of cell)
2) Adult stem cells (found in bone marrow - can differentiate into many (but not all) types of cells eg blood cells
3) Meristems (found in plant root and shoot tips)
Organelle definition
Specialised subcellular units found within living cells
Cell definition
Basic structural unit of a living organism
Tissue definition and examples
- A group of cells of similar structure aggregated together, working together to perform the same specific function
- eg epithelial, xylem
Organ definition and example
- A group of aggregated tissues working together to perform a variety of specific functions
- eg heart, liver, leaf, stomach
Organ system definition and example
- A group of organs of similar function working together as a single unit to perform bodily functions efficiently
- eg digestive, respiratory, circulatory, nervous
