Cell differentiation
jjj said:
hi,
can someone please help me on this question:
How does cell specialisation and cell differentiation help the body function normally? sorry thats not the exact question but can someone please tell me what the two things are and how they aid the functioning of the body. THANKS!
Cell Differentiantion -
Most multicellular plants and animals begin their existance as a single cell. In multicellular organisms, this cell undergoes a long sequence of changes, which eventually provides all the different tissues and organs.
All cells in an organism contain identical genetic material. Yet multicellular organisms consist of a huge range of specialised cells, for example blood, nerve, muscle and skin cells. The process that results in these different specialised cells is called cell differentiation.
Differentiated cells contain the same genetic material as non-differentiated cells. All human cells contain genes for the synthesis of the skin pigment melanin. These genes are on expressed in skin, eye and hair cells.
Differentiation involves no loss or gain of genteic material. When cells differentiate, some genes are 'switched off' and others are 'switched on'. The genes necessary for the structure and function of the cell remain switched on. Other genes are not expressed; they are switched off. In other words, although all cells contain the same DNA, some sections of the DNA are active and some are dormant.
Once a cell has differentiated, it remains a specialised cell for its life time. There seems to be a memory in the cells DNA code that retains the information for the switching on and off of genes.
The exact mechanism of cell differentiation has not been clarified. However, the trigger for the DNA changes during differentiation seems to be certain chemicals produced in the immediate environment of the cell.
I hope that helps you...and me too come to think of it. Good luck for monday! I am sure we all need it but we are all going to do well this year!
