Specialised Cells Flashcards
What are palisade cells adapted for?
Photosynthesis.
What is the palisade cells packed with?
Chloroplasts for photosynthesis.
More are crammed at the top of the cell - near the light.
What is the palisade cell’s shape like?
Tall and thin shape.
What is the significance of the tall shape of the palisade cell?
A lot of surface area is exposed down the side for absorbing carbon dioxide from the air in the leaf.
What is the significance of the thin shape of the palisade cell?
You can pack lots of them at the top of a leaf.
Where are the palisade cells located within a leaf?
They are grouped together at the top of the leaf where most of the photosynthesis happens.
What are the guard cells adapted to do?
Allowing gas exchange and controlling water loss within a leaf.
What is the shape of a guard cell?
Special kidney shape which allows he opening and closing of the stomata in the leaf.
What happens when the plants has lots of water?
The guard cells fill with it and go plump and turgid.
This makes the stomata open so gases and can exchanged for photosynthesis.
What happens when the plants is short of water?
The guard cells lose water and become flaccid making the stomata close.
This helps to stop water vapour escaping.
What are the walls like on a guard cell and what is ther function?
Thin outer walls.
Thickened inner walls.
They make the opening and closing work.
What happens at night to the guard cells?
They are sensitive to light and at night they close to save water without losing out on photosynthesis.
What are red blood cells adapted to do?
Carry oxygen.
What is the red blood cell shape like and what is the significance of this?
Concave shape.
Gives a big surface area for absorbing oxygen.
Helps them pass smoothly through capillaries to reach body cells.
What are red blood cells packed with?
Haemoglobin.
The pigment that absorbs the oxygen.
What do red blood cells NOT have?
A nucleus.
This leaves more room for haemoglobin.
What are sperm and egg cells specialised for?
Reproduction.
What is the main function of an egg cell?
Is to carry the female DNA and to nourish the developing embryo in the early stages.
What does the egg cell CONTAIN?
Huge food reserves to feed the embryo.
What happens when the sperm fuses with the egg?
The eggs membrane instantly changes its structure to stop any more sperm getting it.
Making sure the offspring ends up with the right amount of DNA.
What is the function of the sperm?
Get the male DNA to the female DNA.
Describe the structure of a sperm.
Long tail and streamlined head to help it swim to egg.
Lots of mitochondria in the cell to provide energy.
What do sperm cells carry in their head?
Enzymes.
This helps them digest through the egg cell membrane.
