How is it that cells of one specific individual are able to have specific unique functions even though they have the same genetic instructions (i.e. identical DNA)? Give me one example of a specialized cell and one way that it is able to have a specific function.
Peer 1:
I have found that cells of one specific individual are able to have specific unique functions even though they have the same genetic instructions due to gene regulation. Gene regulation is how a cell controls which gene. There are different patterns in genes that allow you to have many different sets of proteins which makes you so unique and able to do the specific job that is required. Cells with the same gene perform specialized functions because of the way each cell dyploys a genome.Having a specialized function is extremely important because they play a huge role in energy metabolism, regeneration, information transfer and so much more. There are many different types of specialized cells some include shape,size, and function according to their importance. Having a specific unique function it makes other cells dependant on each other because of their specialization. One example of a specialized cell would be blood cells.The reason it is able to have a specific function is due to having cells that have special features which will bring them together to start a new organism. Blood cells main function is to transport oxygen and nutrients to the lung tissues. Another function of blood cells are forming blood clots to prevent excess blood loss. Having a specialized cell takes a huge part of making sure our bodies are working the way they are supposed to. Specialized cells have a certain role to play in the human body which is why they are so important. I have learned so much from understanding the importance of specialized cells and why specific cells of an individual are able to have a specific unique function while having the same genetic instructions.This all is very interesting to me and hope it is just as interesting to others! I am excited to learn everyone else’s point of view on this discussion.
Peer 2:
Cell specificity is controlled by gene regulation which is the process of controlling which genes in a cell’s DNA are expressed. Different cells in a multicellular organism may express very different sets of genes, even though they contain the same DNA. Overall, about 14% of the genes are specific to one cell line, and 37% are detected in all cell lines and could be considered constitutively expressed. Many genes are regulated primarily at the level of transcription. Each cell type in your body has a different set of active genes. Even though almost all the cells of your body contain the exact same DNA. Cellular specificity is achieved by the regulated expression of selected sets of genes and transcripts. For example the liver is made up mostly of hepatocytes. They are highly specialized cells that carry out many tasks such as storing vitamins, minerals, and glucose. They also remove toxins, and help regulate fats and sugars in the bloodstream. Hepatocytes are the major cells in the liver. They play a very important role in metabolism (converting food to energy), detoxification (clearing the body of ingested drugs or alcohol), and protein synthesis (creating protein molecules). Dehydrogenase is a specific enzyme that breaks down drugs, alcohol, nicotine, and prescription medications because they are not normal in the body. The source of new healthy hepatocytes has never been identified. There is a hypothesis that mature hepatocytes might maintain their populations by dividing. However some believe that the mature cells have become so specialized to carry out the work of the liver, they have likely lost the ability to divide. Scientists did an experiment on stem cells and found out that stem cells that migrated out of reach of a certain signal quickly lost their ability to divide into new stem cells and began to develop into mature hepatocytes.
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