• Question: hi is what is a specialised cell?

    Asked by WEIRDSCIENTIST to Christie, Dan, David, Dawn, Sian on 16 Jun 2016.
    • Photo: Christie Waddington

      Christie Waddington answered on 16 Jun 2016:

      A specialised cell has a specific function or purpose and it has evolved to perform the function as best as it can. For example, a red blood cell. Red blood cells are used to transport oxygen to our cells. They are specialised because they have a thin membrane so oxygen can diffuse easily, have a large surface area so that more oxygen can be absorbed, and they have no nucleus or mitochondria so they can fit as much haemoglobin (it binds to oxygen in the cell so that it doesn’t escape!) in the red blood cell as possible.

      But a red blood cell doesn’t look anything like a sperm cell, even though these are both animal cells. A sperm cell has a head containing Dad’s DNA and a long tail filled with lots of mitochondria to give it lots of energy for swimming.

      There are many many types of specialised cells in humans and plants. Have a look online for more types!

    • Photo: Sian Thomas

      Sian Thomas answered on 17 Jun 2016:

      Good answer Christie. I guess my favorite specialized cell is a brain cell – called a neuron! Not only is it critical, but it also looks very pretty.

    • Photo: Dawn Lau

      Dawn Lau answered on 17 Jun 2016:

      One example of a specialised cell is an oligodendrocyte, which is a type of brain cell. Its primary purpose is to wrap around another type of brain cell (neurons) to provide a layer of insulation so that the neurons can communicate better with each other!

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