Differentiation: from unspecialized to specialized cells
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Question
What is differentiation?
Answer
The process by which an **unspecialized cell** develops into a **specialized cell** with a particular structure and function.
Question
What is an unspecialized cell?
Answer
A cell that has **no particular job yet** and can still develop into different cell types (e.g. a stem cell).
Question
What is a specialized cell?
Answer
A cell with a **particular structure suited to one particular function** (e.g. a neuron or red blood cell).
Question
Name the process that produces specialized cells such as neurons from unspecialized cells.
Answer
**Differentiation**.
Question
What process is required to develop specialized tissues in a multicellular organism?
Answer
**Differentiation** — it produces the specialized cell types that group into tissues.
Question
How does cell division differ from differentiation?
Answer
**Cell division (mitosis)** makes **more** cells (identical copies); **differentiation** makes cells **different** (specialized).
Question
Which process increases the NUMBER of cells?
Answer
**Cell division (mitosis)** — it makes more identical cells.
Question
Which process increases the VARIETY of cell types?
Answer
**Differentiation** — it makes cells become different from one another.
Question
In what order do division and differentiation build a body?
Answer
First **cell division** makes many identical cells, then **differentiation** makes them into specialized types.
Question
Why does a multicellular organism need differentiation?
Answer
So cells can **specialize for one job each** (division of labour), letting the whole organism do many jobs efficiently.
Question
Where does the word 'differentiation' come from?
Answer
From **'different'** — it makes cells become **different from one another** (specialized).
Question
Do all the specialized cells in one organism contain the same genes?
Answer
**Yes** — they all came from the same original cell and share the same genes, but they differentiated into different types.
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Topic 2.5 hub
Cell specialization
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