# A nerve cell and a root hair cell are both examples of specialised cells. Explain how the process of cell differentiation allows an organism to produce specialised cells, and why this is important for multicellular organisms.

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

> All cells in an organism originate from undifferentiated cells. Through a process called cell differentiation, these cells become specialised for specific functions. Nerve cells, for example, are long and can transmit electrical impulses, while root hair cells have a large surface area for absorbing water and minerals from the soil.

## Mark scheme (5 marks)

1. Cell differentiation is the production of specialised cells
2. Undifferentiated cells (stem cells) can differentiate into a range of different cell types
3. The specialised structure of a cell suits it for its specific function (correctly linked to either nerve cell or root hair cell)
4. Cell differentiation allows organisms to become more efficient
5. Specialised cells are important for multicellular organisms because different cells can perform different functions / there is division of labour

## Key terms

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

## 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)

---
Source: [GradeNine](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/q/a-nerve-cell-and-a-root-59b377dd) · Published by Druglandscape Ltd.