Cell Differentiation

Overall, this is important for the human body because this is how diversity is created amongst the cells the body needs.

Cell differentiation, also known as specialization, is when cells have roles assigned to them. This means that they have specific functions in organisms now.  This process is called gene expression. All cells will have a complete set of DNA but only certain portions of this are put into use . In other words, every cell has the same genome but each one will only express specific genes, therefore leading to the major differences between them. In order for a cell to differentiate into its specialized form and have unique functions, it will need to manipulate certain proteins, and the rest that are not needed will remain silent. The way that these genes are either turned on or off is through the use of transcription factors. These are proteins that bind to specific genes on the DNA and either prohibit or inhibit their transcription. Overall, this is important for the human body because this is how diversity is created amongst the cells the body needs. An example can be, nerve cells are completely different functions from a muscle cell. These cells are adapted thanks to the selectivity of which genes are expressed for each cell. Nerve cells can have the role of transmitting signals whereas muscle cells specialize in controlling movement. Differentiation is overall crucial for development, as it allows for optimal efficiency in the body’s ability to do certain things. Another example can be blood cells, as they specialize in transporting oxygen through the body. As we can see prior to differentiation, these cells stemmed from the same origin, yet still have such contrasting functions. It is all thanks to differentiation that our bodies can properly and efficiently carry out their functions.