Specialized cells

1. Specialized cells How do we get from to

2. Specialized Cells • As cells grow and mature, they develop differently and take on specific functions for an organism. • Specialized cells have physical and chemical differences that allow them to perform their job very well. • Red blood cells and white blood cells • Skin cells • Bone cells • Muscle cells • Sperm cells • Fat cells • Nerve cells

3. Red Blood Cells • Red blood cells transport oxygen from the lungs throughout the body. • They are donut shaped to maximize allowing oxygen to diffuse into and out of cells more quickly • Contain hemoglobin that carries oxygen • Cells are smooth so that they can easily pass through the blood vessels

4. White Blood Cells • Move like an amoeba to engulf bacteria and fight infection

5. Blood Cells (Cont’d) • Red Blood Cells (video) • White Blood Cell Chases Bacteria (video) • Antibody Immune System Response (video)

6. Skin Cells • Layers fit together tightly, covering the outside of the body to protect the cells inside and to reduce water loss

7. Bone Cells • Collect calcium from food and allow the growth and repair of bones • They build up bone around themselves, creating the body’s skeleton

8. Muscle Cells • Arranged in bundles called muscle fibres • Can contract which makes the fibres shorter and causes bones to move

9. Sperm Cells & Egg Cells • Sperm cells can move independently, carrying DNA from the male parent to join with an egg cell from the female parent • Bring Flowers (video)

10. Fat Cells • Fat cells store energy in the form of fat molecules • Large and fat to maximize their food content • Have a large vacuole in which to store fat molecules

11. Nerve Cells • Nerve cells transport messages and information throughout the body • They are long fibresextending from the cell nucleus to carry messages • Long, thin, and have many branches • Conduct electrical impulses to coordinate body activity

12. Stem Cells (video: intro stem cells) • Every cell in the body originated from a small group of stem cells. • Stem cells are unspecialized (they have not been ‘given a job’ yet). • They can form specialized cells when they are exposed to the right environmental conditions, or remain unspecialized and just actively divide.

13. found in embryo’s and undergo differentiation to give them their unique functions. Possible to harvest small amounts from the umbilical cord or placenta. For large amounts, it may be necessary to destroy the embryo, which causes ethical dilemmas. Types of Stem Cells: Embryonic

14. have undergone many levels of differentiation and specialization, leaving them with a limited ability to create a variety of cell types. Most are involved in the replacement of damaged tissues (blood, skin, liver) VIDEO: Adult stem cells Types of Stem Cells: Adult

15. Recent studies have found that adult stem cells from the tissue of one organ can regenerate tissue in another organ! Adult blood stem cells could regenerate liver, kidney and brain cells. Important Research:

16. Cell Specialization • Although cells have the same DNA information in them, they are not all alike. • Cells develop in different ways to perform different functions. This is called specialization.

17. The salamander is the ‘Super Star’ of regeneration… it has the ability to re-grow limbs that have been amputated, as well as tails, lenses and parts of the heart! Regeneration

18. This is not often thought to occur in humans, however examples do exist. The liver can regenerate itself to an extent, and your fingertips have limited ability. If the fingertip is cut and cleaned properly, it can re-grow and actually have the same fingerprints! In humans?