Cell Differentiation

  • Cell differentiation is the process by which a cell changes from one type to another. This change usually involves the cell adopting specific structures and functions.

  • Most types of animal cells differentiate at an early stage. In contrast, many types of plant cells retain the capacity to differentiate throughout life.

  • A fertilized egg will go through cell division to produce a ball of cells, each one has the potential to differentiate into any kind of cell, these are said to be ‘undifferentiated’ or ‘stem cells’.

  • As the organism evolves, cells in different areas of the ball start to specialize and become different from each other. This is the beginning of cell differentiation.

  • Cell differentiation is directed by the genes in each cell. All cells in an organism have the same DNA, but not all genes are active in each cell.

  • Specialized cells only transcribe and translate the genes that produce the proteins they need for their specific function. Other genes are switched off.

  • The result of cell differentiation is a multi-cellular organism with different cell types performing different functions. This is a crucial process contributing to the complexity of life.

  • Specialization also means that if one type of cell dies, other cells with the same function can continue to function. The organism is not reliant on any one type of cell.

  • In mature mammals, cell differentiation is largely complete. However stem cells in certain areas of the body remain undifferentiated. These include stem cells in the bone marrow which form blood cells, and stem cells in skin that can produce new skin cells.

  • In plants, cell differentiation can continue to occur throughout the plant’s life. Stem-like cells in the tips of roots and shoots allow a plant to grow and produce new organs throughout its life-cycle.

  • Understanding cell differentiation is important for the field of regenerative medicine. By understanding how cells differentiate, we get closer to being able to guide cells to differentiate into specific cell types, potentially replacing tissues or organs damaged by age or disease.