Cell SpecializationMr. Chapman

Science 8

Cells Reproduce like Unicellular OrganismsDo you remember the name of the process that

unicellular organisms use to divide?

The name of the process is binary fission.

Your cells also reproduce in this way, but the division is given a special name.

The name of the division is called mitosis.

A GREAT Video of Mitosishttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhgRhXl7w_g

Did You Know? How many skin cells do you think the human body sheds

naturally every day?

The answer is 50 000 000!

Your body has the ability to reproduce cells to replace these skin cells, as well as to heal your wounds, such as scrapes.

Your skin can do this because it is specialized for this function.

Specialized CellsThe human body is made of specialized cells. A

specialized cell is a cell that is able to carry out a specific function that other cells can’t.

There are many different kinds of cells and specialized cells, and each has a different function to support life.

Neuron

Red Blood CellsRed blood cells are an example of a specialized cell.

The function of a red blood cell is to carry oxygen to different parts of the body.

In order to do this, red blood cells have to fit in the small, tiny spaces in your blood vessels. Their thin, flexible disk shape enables them to do this.

Red Blood Cells in Blood Vesselshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKX2gAJX7jo&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-04djymrZM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZhvMZFeamA&feature=related

Red Blood CellsRed blood cells do not reproduce the way that human

skin cells do.

The reason for this is that when red blood cells mature, they lose their nucleus, which is necessary for cell division.

Red blood cells are replaced by the bone marrow, which is a tissue whose function is to produce red blood cells.

TissuesA tissue is a group of similar cells that get together to

form a particular function.

There are 4 different types of tissues:

- Connective tissue- Epithelial tissue- Nervous tissue- Muscle tissue