Cell Differentiation (1.1.4) PDF

Cell Differentiation (1.1.4) To become specialised and be suited to its role, stem cells must undergo differentiation to form specialised cells. This involves some of their genes being switched on or off to produce different prote...

Cell Differentiation (1.1.4) To become specialised and be suited to its role, stem cells must undergo differentiation to form specialised cells. This involves some of their genes being switched on or off to produce different proteins, allowing the cell to acquire different sub-cellular substances for it to carry out a specific function. In animals, almost all cells differentiate at an early stage and then lose this ability. Most specialised cells can make more of the same cell by undergoing mitosis (the process that involves a cell dividing to produce 2 identical cells). Others such as red blood cells (which lose their nucleus) cannot divide and are replaced by adult stem cells (which retain their ability to undergo differentiation). In mature animals, cell division mostly only happens to repair or replace damaged cells, as they undergo little growth. In plants, many types of cells retain the ability to differentiate throughout life. They only differentiate when they reach their final position in the plant, but they can still re-differentiate when it is moved to another position Cell Differentiation (1.1.4) 1