Question

Describe the basic concepts of cell differentiation and maturation.

Answer 1

Cell differentiation refers to the process by which unspecialised embryonic stem cells and adult stem stems undergo certain process to become a specialised cell with respect to structure and function.

Cell differentiation occurs in response to certain signal bought by some ligand. The signal alters gene expression, which means certain genes are turned on and certain genes are switched off. Thus, cells differentiate into specific cells as a result of differential gene expression. The result of differential gene expression is a varitye of cell types with specific shapes / sizes and function.

For eg., Hematopoietic stem cells may differentiate into any of the blood cells (RBC, WBC or platelets) depending on the signal received by the cell.

On the other hand, cell maturation is the process by which an already differentiated cell matures and begins to perform its specific task. For eg, maturation of wbc cells to fight pathogens.

So, from our example, we can understand that cell differentiation is the process of forming specific cell types, like WBC from hematopoietic cells; whereas maturation is process by which cells acquire ability to perform their function, like WBC eliminating pathogens.

Importance: The importance of cell differentiation and maturation is that it leads to generation of array of cell types which perform different tasks . This makes processes more efficient in multicellular organisms. It also helps to replace lost cells or provide new cells in need.