Download Specialized Cells

SPECIALIZED CELLS
• 50 – 75 Trillion
cells in your body
• 220 specialized
cells
• Heart
• Nerve
• Blood
• Sperm
• Etc.
BRAINSTORM
• Why would our bodies evolve 220 different types of
cells?
WHAT IS A SPECIALIZED CELL?
• A cell that has a particular structure and performs a
specific function
• Each type has unique shape, size and features allowing it to
do its job accurately
• The cells in animals are not all identical.
• They perform specific functions, such as delivering
oxygen and fighting disease, moving the skeleton,
storing energy or coordinating the whole body.
Plant cells also have a variety of specialized cells.
Cells in the leaf of a tree have a different structure
and function from the cells in the trunk.
WHAT ARE UNSPECIALIZED
CELLS?
Cells that divide quickly and do not have a
particular function yet  STEM CELLS
STEM CELLS
Only stem cells can differentiate into
many cell types.
WHERE ARE STEM CELLS
LOCATED?
1. Embryos
2. Amniotic Fluid
WHERE ARE STEM CELLS
LOCATED?
3. Some adult tissue
• Brain
• Bone marrow
• Blood/blood vessels
• Skeletal muscles
• Skin
• Liver
WHAT IS CELL
DIFFERENTIATION?
The process of an unspecialized, stem cell
developing into a specialized cell type.
BRAINSTORM…
What do you think determines what type of
cell a stem cell will become?
• DNA!
WHAT DETERMINES THE
PATHWAY FOR CELL
DIFFERENTIATION?
1. DNA has specific genes which are instructions
for one protein
• Think different chapters in a book
2. Cells send each other signals which can turn
genes on or off
• Imagine removing a chapter from a book or adding
a new one
3. Only the genes that are turned on will be used
to make proteins
• Imagine only reading certain chapters of the book
4. Different proteins made leads to different
types of cells
• If you and I are reading different chapters of a
book, we will end up with a different story
LET’S PRACTICE
How does the
structure of the
red blood cell
relate to it’s
function?
LET’S PRACTICE
How does the
shape of these
cells relate to its
function?
Found in…
Lungs & Fallopian Tubes
LET’S PRACTICE
How does the
shape of these
cells relate to its
function?
Found in…
Digestive System