Specialized cells are those dedicated to performing a particular function within a cellular system or tissue. This specialization is essential for the evolutionary emergence of multicellular organisms , since the differentiation of tasks and responsibilities allows for the formation and functioning of more complex biological structures. For example:myocytes, atrocytes, osteocytes.
This is particularly evident during the embryonic or constitution stages of a new individual of the species, when the different cells that make up the zygote begin to distinguish themselves from the others, each assuming an identity related to the future body parts of the fully formed individual.
The famous stem cells , on the other hand, are those still undifferentiated cells, which harbor the potential to become any type of cell necessary in the body.
See also: Human cells (and their functions)
Examples of specialized cells
- Myocytes. A type of elastic cell, capable of expanding and contracting its proportions, which constitutes muscle tissue, responsible for mobility in living beings of the Animal Kingdom. Those that make up the heart, for example, never stop stretching and contracting throughout an individual’s life.
- Astrocytes. Chemically and electrically configured to conduct the information that constitutes the bulk of the animal nervous system, they are responsible, along with neurons, for controlling various bodily processes, both automatic and conscious.
- Osteocytes. Cells responsible for assimilating calcium and other elements for the production and mineralization of bones. They are key to supporting the body of vertebrate animals and providing physical protection to vital organs .
- Erythrocytes. The most abundant cells in the blood of higher animals, they are responsible for carrying oxygen to the body’s various cellular systems, keeping them nourished and energized. To do this, they possess hemoglobin, an oxygen receptor that enables its transport.
- Gametes. Sex cells, morphologically differentiated according to the gender of the individual that produces them (male and female), which contain half of the individual’s complete genetic makeup and produce, through fertilization and meiosis, an embryo that will eventually become a completely new individual.
- Chlorenchyma. Cells that make up the main plant tissues: the leaves, and are responsible for photosynthesis, through which plants obtain their energy. To do this, they contain chloroplasts and require sunlight, carbon dioxide, salts , and water.
- Epidermal cells. The outer tissues of plants and animals are made up of these types of cells, whose arrangement in scaly, flexible layers (in animals) or impermeable, flat layers (in plants) provides protection and demarcation to the individual.
- Leukocytes. Part of the immune system, responsible for defending the body against potential microbial invaders and pathogens, these cells are dedicated to isolating and removing unwanted elements from the body.
- Hepatocytes. These form the liver of higher animals and are responsible for the synthesis of vital proteins and the production of bile, which is vital for digestive and assimilative processes, as well as for the catabolism of toxic substances or excess blood.
- Adipocytes. They form adipose or fatty tissue in animals by storing triglycerides and cholesterol as an energy storage method.
- Chondrocytes. Cells unique to cartilage tissue, responsible for maintaining its upright structure through their collagen and proteoglycan content. In some animals, they form the entire skeleton from this material.
- Sclereids. Plant cells responsible for forming hard, resistant tissues, present in stone fruits or certain supporting plant tissues. Very irregular in shape, they are characterized by their thick secondary cell wall.
- Enterocytes. Forming part of the epithelium (outer wall) of the intestinal tracts of animals, they function to absorb electrolytes, water, and various essential nutrients from the food that later becomes excrement.
- Mast Egg-shaped cells in the human body that form part of the connective tissue, where they carry out immunological functions, using substances such as heparin and histamine, which trigger defensive reactions in the body.
- Hyphae. Tube-shaped, chitin-coated cells characteristic of fungi , collectively known as mycelia. They lack chloroblasts, like animal cells, but have cell walls, like plant cells. Therefore, they form a separate kingdom ( Fungium ).
- Fibroblasts. Simple, abundant, and common, very poorly differentiated cells in the animal body, where they constitute the bulk of the connective tissue, keeping the various body tissues together but differentiated.
- Endothelial cells. They constitute the wall and inner layer of blood vessels and capillaries in higher animals, performing various functions in regulation, hormone secretion , and blood transport.
- Schwann cells. Covering neurons in a sheath of myelin, they are distinguished from other nerve cells, providing them with support and protection.
- Melanocytes. Located in the skin tissues of humans and some animals, they contain myelin, which gives tissue its characteristic color when exposed to UV radiation.
- Optic cells. Various types of cells located in the eyes of animals, responsible for capturing light information and transmitting it to the nervous system for interpretation.