Re: What are some examples of cell differentiation

Hi Kate,

There are lots of examples of cell differentiation. All you have to 
consider is that a huamn being (or for that matter almost any other complex 
multicellular  organism) begins life as a fusion of an egg and a sperm. 
That new cell, known as a "zygote" in mammals, will undergo mitosis. The 
progeny of that single cell will form all of the cells of that animal. 
Since there are about 200 varieties of cell in a mammalian body, all of 
those cells will have differentiated from the progeny of the original 
zygote. More specific examples are as follows: 

1. Epithelial cells will differentiate to give rise to all of the 
parenchymal cells (those cells which perform the function of the particular 
organ) of all glands, whether exocrine or endocrine. 

2. Epithelial cells of a specific epithelium, such as those that line the 
digestive tract, differentiate to form cells with specific functions: e.g., 
in the stomach you have parietal cells that produce hydrochloric acid.

3. Mesenchymal cells will differentiate to give rise to cells that 
manufacture bone (osteoblast), cartilage (chondroblasts), muscle 
(myoblasts), fat (adipocytes), tendons and ligaments (fibroblasts).

These are just some examples of cell differentiation; there are lots of 
other examples and you can find out about them by looking in a Textbook of 
Embryology or in a Textbook of Histology. 

Good luck.

Leslie P. Gartner
Department of OCBS-Anatomy
Dental School
University of Maryland,
Baltimore