# A muscle cell and a root hair cell are both specialised cells found in living organisms. Explain how the structure of a root hair cell is related to its function, and describe how cell differentiation allows multicellular organisms to become more efficient.

> OCR A-Level Biology B — Advancing Biology (H422) — 2.1 Cell structure · Explain · 5 marks

> Stem cells are unspecialised cells that can differentiate into a range of different cell types. Once differentiated, cells such as root hair cells and muscle cells are highly adapted for their roles.

## Mark scheme (5 marks)

1. Root hair cells have a large surface area
2. Large surface area increases the rate of uptake of water and minerals from the soil
3. Cell differentiation is the production of specialised cells (from unspecialised/stem cells)
4. Specialised cells can carry out their function more effectively / efficiently than unspecialised cells
5. Named example of how a specialised cell is adapted, e.g. muscle cells can contract/relax to cause movement, OR nerve cells transmit electrical impulses, OR red blood cells have a biconcave shape to increase surface area for oxygen exchange

## Key terms

- [cell differentiation](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/glossary/cell-differentiation)
- [specialised cells](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/glossary/specialised-cells)
- [multicellular organism](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/glossary/multicellular-organism)

## Related

- [Revision notes for OCR A-Level Biology B — Advancing Biology (H422)](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/learn)
- [How to answer "Explain" questions](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/tools/command-word-cheatsheet)
- [Practice this with AI marking (free)](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/start)

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Source: [GradeNine](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/q/a-muscle-cell-and-a-root-8bfa0fa6) · Published by Druglandscape Ltd.