Cell Specialization:

Question 1

What are the different kinds of cells?

Answer 1

-sperm cell
-egg cell
-white blood cell
-red blood cell
-root hair cell
-muscle cell
-nerve cell
-ciliated epithelial cell

Question 2

How does every cell start?

Answer 2

As a general cell (not specialized for specific function)

Question 3

What causes cells to change shape, use particular organelles more, and take on a specific function?

Answer 3

-combination of activated and deactivated cells

Question 4

How do we get different kinds of cells?

Answer 4

-every cell starts as a general cell (not specialized)
-when cells are exposed to a particular set of environmental conditions some of the DNA is activated and some is not

Question 5

What is the original cell of a multicellular organism?

Answer 5

-when an egg and sperm cell come together during fertilization, they create a single cell that contains enough DNA for a multicellular specimen to survive (forms a ZYGOTE)!

Question 6

What is Zygote development?

Answer 6

-zygote cell will grow and develop through cell cycle stages
-after developing, it will create a ball of duplicated cells called a blastocyst

Question 7

How are all the cells in a blastocyst created?

Answer 7

-mitosis (have the exact same DNA)

Question 8

Why do the cells within the blastocyst begin to change?

Answer 8

Because its environment will differ —- leading it to differentiate!

Question 9

Cell Differentiation:

Answer 9

When cells become physically different from one another (eg. sperm cells have a flagella to help them move)

Question 10

Cell Specialization:

Answer 10

When cells carry out specific functions (eg. the sperm cell has the ability to move using the flagella in order to fertilize the egg cell)

Question 11

Cell differentiation in Red Blood Cells (RBC):

Answer 11

-contains hemoglobin protein
-bowl shape which enables a higher surface area

Question 12

Cell specialization in Red Blood Cells (RBC):

Answer 12

-carries oxygen through the blood by allowing oxygen to bind to the hemoglobin

Question 13

Cell differentiation in Muscle Cells:

Answer 13

-contains a lot of mitochondria which produces a lot of energy

Question 14

Cell specialization in Muscle Cells:

Answer 14

-contract in order to pull and release bones for movement

Question 15

Cell differentiation in Nerve Cells:

Answer 15

-contains a high concentration of slat which allows electrical changes to travel along them
-they are long and thin (span long distances)

Question 16

Cell specialization in Nerve Cells:

Answer 16

-conduct electrical impulses for communication

Question 17

What are stem cells?

Answer 17

Cells that are not specialized and can be specialized for a particular need

Question 18

What are the types of stem cells?

Answer 18

1. Embryonic Stem Cells
2. Adult Stem Cells
3. Induced Pluripotent Stem cells

Question 19

Embryonic Stem Cells:

Answer 19

-found within the inner cells of the blastocyst (during embryo development — before cells specialize)
-can be used to treat health disorders (but doing so is considered to be controversial as it requires embryos to be destroyed)

Question 20

Adult Stem Cells:

Answer 20

-undifferentiated body cells found throughout the human body
-are used in the human body for growth and to regenerate cells that are damaged

Question 21

Induced Pluripotent Cells:

Answer 21

-adult body cells that are reprogrammed for a different purpose

NOTE =
-good because less controversial than using embryonic stem cells and reduced likelihood of being rejected by body
-tools used for process have shown to cause cancer