Chapter 1: Cells – the Basic Building Blocks of Life ..

Lesson 4: Describing Cells Classify specialised cells as animal cells or plant cells. Describe different specialised animal cells and plant cells. Explain the structure and function of specialised cells using models. Before a cell becomes specialised it starts out as a stem cell.

Lesson 4: The right cells for the job Cells become specialised because they become responsible for a particular job in the human body This job includes movement, finding out information about the environment, sending messages to different organs in the body, carry or making chemicals for the body, reproducing or absorbing food. Where would you find cells that detect: light? sound? heat?

Lesson 4: Specialised Animal Cells Nerve cells : carry messages from one part of the body to another. Muscle cells: are made from protein fibres that can rapidly expand and contract to create movement. Sperm cells: main job is to carry genetic material to an egg cell, so that it can be fertilised. Egg cells: accept genetic material during fertilisation. Red-blood cells: carries and delivers oxygen around the body. Skin cells: protect the body from outside invaders.

Lesson 4: Specialised Plant Cells Specialised plant cells help in the making their own food through a process called photosynthesis Root hair cell: collect water and mineral nutrients present in the soil and take this solution up through the roots to the rest of the plant. Leaf cell: have many chloroplasts that help to capture sunlight. Pollen cell: are the same as sperm cells but in plants. Some are carried by wind, or by insects. These cells help in the reproduction of plants.

Lesson 4: Questions and Answers 1. Name this “red candy” cell. Ans: Red Blood Cells 2. Which cell transmits electrical messages? Ans: Nerve Cell 3. Which cell contracts and expands to create movement? Ans: Muscle Cell 4. Plants make their own food by a process called? Ans: Photosynthesis 5. Which plant cells are involved in reproduction? Ans: Pollen cells