In multicellular organisms unspecialised cells differentiate to become cells of many shapes, sizes and functions.Stem cells divide by mitosis and then grow and differentiate into cells of the organ or tissue to which they belong.Differentiation changes a cell's size, shape, membrane potential, metabolic activity, and responsiveness to signals.These changes are largely due to modifications in gene expression.Cells may be differentiated to form barriers, or differentiated to be motile.Differentiated cells often contain different organelles or different amounts of each organelle.
Differentiation
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Specification: OCR Biology A (H020), AS-level, 2.1.6 Cell division, cell diversity and cellular organisation. Topic: Cell Division.
Key terms in this lesson
- organelle
- A membrane-bound structure within a cell with a specific structure suited to a specific function.
- mitosis
- Nuclear division producing two daughter nuclei that are genetically identical to the parent nucleus, used in growth, repair and asexual reproduction.
- gene
- A length of DNA that codes for a specific polypeptide.
More in Cell Division
- Specialised Plant Cells
- Organs and Organ Systems
- Stem Cells
- Stem Cell Potency
- Replacement of Red and White Blood Cells
- Sources of Animal Stem Cells
- Sources of Plant Stem Cells
- Uses of Stem Cells
All 31 lessons in Cell Division · All OCR AS-level Biology topics