IGCSE Biology

Specialized Cells

Monday, October 17, 2022

Learning Objectives
• To explain the organisation of an organism using the
following terms: organelles, cells, tissues, organs and
organ systems?

Monday, October 17, 2022

 Learning outcomes
All
• State that new cells are produced
by division of existing cells
• Identify different specialized cells
and their jobs
Key words
• tissue, organ, organ system, ciliated
cells, palisade mesophyll cells ,
neurons, red blood cells, sperm and
egg cells.
Monday, October 17, 2022
Most
• Describe the meaning of the
• State that specialised cells
terms: cell, tissue, organ,
organ system and organism
as illustrated by examples
given in the syllabus
• Explain how the specialised
cells adapted to carry out
their job
Some
have specific functions,
limited to: a. ciliated cells –
movement of mucus in the
trachea and bronchi b. root
hair cells – absorption c.
palisade mesophyll cells –
photosynthesis d. neurones –
conduction of electrical
impulses e. red blood cells –
transport of oxygen f. sperm
and egg cells (gametes) –
reproduction
Starter Specialised cells are ones that are adapted
to make them better at their job

You have pictures of

these cells and cards
that specify their job
and where you’d find
Stretch: What features them!
make these cells good at Match these up in
their job? pairs!
Sperm Cell
Found in the testes
Its job is to carry genetic information and fertilise the egg

Egg Cell
Found in the ovaries
Its job is to carry genetic information

Palisade Cell
Found on the surface of leaves
Its job is photosynthesis

Red blood Cell

Found in the blood
Its job is to carry oxygen around the body

Nerve Cell
Found all over the body
Its job is to carry electrical signals to our brain

Root hair cell

Found in the roots of plants
Its job is to absorb water and minerals

Ciliated Epithelium
Found in our throat/airways
Its job is to sweep mucus and dirt back up our throat
 Cell Division
• Multicellular organisms begin life as a single
fertilised egg cell called a ZYGOTE.
• It then divides over and over again by MITOSIS

Zygote

Embryo
Monday, October 17, 2022
 Differentiation
• As the developing embryo grows, cells
become specialized to carry out particular
roles.
• This is called differentiation and is controlled
by genes.
• As all cells have the same genes, some must
be switched on and some switched off for this
to work. This is discussed further in the IGCSE
course.
Monday, October 17, 2022
 Specialised cells
• Here are a few examples of specialized cells that you will meet
throughout the IGCSE Biology course.
• They will be mentioned briefly here as they will be explained
fully in each relevant section.

Monday, October 17, 2022

Activity Specialized cells

Ask your partner

What Cell is this?
Describe its function

Monday, October 17, 2022

 Specialized cells
Red Blood Cell

Found in plasma

Specialized by a flattened
disc shape, large surface
area, lack of nucleus and
haemoglobin content

Function- to transport
oxygen

Monday, October 17, 2022

Activity Specialized cells

Your partner turn

What Cell is this?
Describe its function

Monday, October 17, 2022

 Specialized cells
Root hair cell

Found on the roots of

plants

Specialized by its
protrusion that increases
surface area

Function- To absorb
water and minerals

Monday, October 17, 2022

Activity Specialized cells

In pairs discussion
What Cell is this?
Describe its function

Monday, October 17, 2022

 Specialized cells
Ciliated cell

Found in trachea and

oviducts

Specialised by its cilia-

tiny hairs that move in
waves

Function- to move mucus

along the trachea and to
waft the ovum along the
oviduct

Monday, October 17, 2022

 Nerve cell (Neurone)
• Very long cell for carrying impulses around
the body along its axon.
• Insulated by a myelin sheath to make the
signal travel quicker.
Dendron
Dendrites

Axon

Monday, October 17, 2022 Muscle

Cell body Myelin sheath
 Sperm cell
• Sperm cells have a tail for swimming.
• The head contains the genes from the father
in the nucleus.
• The acrosome digests its way into the egg for
fertilisation.

Acrosome
Monday, October 17, 2022 Tail
Nucleus
 Egg Cell
Cytoplasm containing yolk
-Designed to be
Fertilised.
-Found in the Ovaries.
-An egg cell is large and
bulky.
-Contains yolk which
provides a large food
Layer of jelly store for the new cell
Nucleus
being formed.
 Palisade cell
• This cell is found in the leaves of plants.
• It is packed full of chloroplasts for
photosynthesis.
• It is a regular shape in order to pack many into
the leaf.

Monday, October 17, 2022

 Root hair cells
absorb minerals and water from the soil

Vacuole •Thin cell wall

Designed for absorbing makes it easy for
water and minerals for minerals to pass
the plant. through.

thin cell wall

•Has a large
surface which Cell membrane
helps it to
absorb water
and minerals.
•Found in a plant root.
 Ciliated Cell
Nucleus  Designed to stop Lung Damage

 They line all the air passages in

the lungs.

 They have tiny hairs called cilia.

cilia  Hairs
sweep mucus with
trapped dust and bacteria back
up the throat.
 Red Blood Cell

•Designed to carry oxygen

•Found in blood.
•Large surface area, for oxygen to pass through.
•Contains haemoglobin, which joins with oxygen.
•Has no nucleus
Monday, October 17, 2022
Around the room there are pieces of info!
They say where the cell’s found
What it does
What its adaptations are!
Complete your table

Help: Use your card Stretch: Come and identify the

sorts from earlier job of some unknown cells
this lesson!
 Turn to the person next to you, can
you name:
1 specialized cell
Its job
Its adaptations
NO YES
Draw any specialised Bigger and Better
Draw a specialised cell of your
cell and label the choice.
parts/features that How would you make it better
make it good at its at its job?
Redesign it, would you change
job! the organelles?
 H.W Draw a table- Take a whole A4 page
Type of cell Everyone: Everyone: Most:
Where it’s found What its job is What its adaptations are!
Nerve Cell

Ciliated
Epithelium

Sperm Cell

Red Blood
Cell

Egg Cell

Palisade Cell

Root hair cell

 Levels of organisation
cell tissue organ organ organism
systems

nerve cell nervous brain nervous Homo sapiens

tissue system

smallest largest
 Levels of organisation

Cells
Tissues

Organs
Monday, October 17, 2022 Organ Systems
 Organelles

Cells

Tissues

Organs

Organ Systems
Monday, Octob
er 17, 2022
A tissue is a group of cells of similar structure that
perform a shared function
Tissues found in the leaf Animal tissues:
muscle tissue
upper epidermal
tissue
palisade mesophyll
tissue

spongy mesophyll nervous tissue

tissue
lower epidermal
tissue

Cross-section of a leaf
An organ is a structure made of a group of tissues
working together to perform specific functions

heart lungs liver

stomach brain kidneys

Plant organs include the stem and the leaves

 An organ system is a group of organs that
coordinate to perform related functions

lymphatic digestive reproductive skeletal endocrine

system system system system system

respiratory excretory muscular nervous circulatory

system system system system system

In plants the shoot is an organ system consisting of leaves and the stem
 Plenary/ Give examples
7 main organ systems
• Digestive
• Respiratory These will all be
covered in detail
• Circulatory in the rest of
IGCSE
• Excretory
• Nervous
• Endocrine
•
Monday, October 17, 2022
Reproductive
 Draw this
cell and
name it.

Why is this Where is Is this a

What job
cell good at this cell plant or
does this doing its animal cell?
found?
cell do? job?

Find the
nucleus of
this cell