Differentiation in Plants & Animals
Biology: AQA GCSE Higher, topic 1.1.12
Differentiation in Plants and Animals
When cells differentiate, they acquire different sub-cellular structures. Cell differentiation can happen at different stages of development in plants and animals.
Plants
- Many plant cells can differentiate throughout their lives.
- This means that plants are always able to create new tissues.
Animals
- Most animal cells differentiate early on in their development.
- In mature animals, cells mostly divide (one cell splits to create two cells) to replace cells and repair tissues that are already present.
- New tissues are rarely created by cell differentiation.
Test yourself on Differentiation in Plants & Animals
What happens to a cell during differentiation that allows it to perform a specific function?
A gardener takes a cutting from a plant stem and places it in soil. New roots grow and a whole new plant develops. Why are plant cells able to do this, but human cells cannot?
A person cuts their skin and, a few days later, new cells have replaced the damaged tissue. Why does this happen through cell division rather than differentiation?