B2.3 Cell specialisation

Gametes

haploid sex cells

Sperm

male gamete

Specialized cells

Cells that perform specific functions that benefit the entire multicellular organism

adult stem cells

stem cells that are found in adults that can differentiate and form a limited number of cells

Scientific model

a representation of an object or event that can be studied to understand the real object or event

Zygote

fertilised egg

Striated muscle cells

These cells are made up of fibres and can be much larger than normal animal cells, with lengths up to 300mm; they can also be multi-nucleated. Combine to make muscle tissue.

Morphogens

A substance that provides positional information in the form of a concentration gradient along an embryonic axis.

embryonic stem cells

An undifferentiated cell, taken from an embryo that has potential to give rise to all other cell or tissues in our body

Cell differentiation

the process by which a cell becomes specialized for a specific structure or function.

Stem Cell Niche

an area of a tissue that provides a specific microenvironment, in which stem cells are present in an undifferentiated and self-renewable state.

Multipotent

having the ability to produce many, but not all, kinds of differentiated cells

Fertilisation

Fusing of a male gamete with a female gamete.

Neurons

a nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system

Stem cells

cells with the potential to develop into many different types of cells in the body.

Egg (ovum)

the sex cell that is produced by the ovaries and that can be fertilized by sperm

Totipotent

the ability of a single cell to divide and produce all the differentiated cells in an organism

Pluripotent

a particularly potent type of stem cell that normally only exists during early embryonic development. - it is able to develop into many different types of cells or tissues in the body