Cell Specialisation and Differentiation

This lesson covers cell differentiation and specialised cells as required by the Edexcel GCSE Biology specification (1BI0), Topic 1: Key Concepts in Biology. You need to understand how cells become specialised, know the key examples of specialised cells and their adaptations, and understand the basics of stem cells.

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What Is Cell Differentiation?

Cell differentiation is the process by which a cell becomes specialised to perform a particular function. During differentiation, a cell develops specific structural and chemical features that allow it to carry out its role efficiently.

Key Points

• All cells in an organism contain the same DNA (the same genes) — they all started from the same fertilised egg (zygote).
• During differentiation, specific genes are switched on (expressed) while others are switched off. This determines which proteins the cell produces and therefore what type of cell it becomes.
• Once a cell has differentiated, it typically cannot change into a different type of cell.