SO, WHAT IS CELL SPECIALIZATION?

Cell specialization (or modification or differentiation) is actually a process that occurs after cell
division where the newly formed cells are structurally modified so that they can perform their
function efficiently and effectively.

Biological tissue is a collection of interconnected cells that perform a similar function within an
organism.

The cells in complex multicellular organisms like people are organized into tissues, groups of similar cells
that work together on a specific task. Organs are structures made up of two or more tissues organized to
carry out a particular function, and groups of organs with related functions make up the different organ
systems.

Epithelial tissue

Epithelial tissue consists of tightly packed sheets of cells that cover surfaces—including the
outside of the body—and line body cavities. For instance, the outer layer of your skin is an
epithelial tissue, and so is the lining of your small intestine.
Epithelial cells are polarized, meaning that they have a top and a bottom side. The apical, top, side
of an epithelial cell faces the inside of a cavity or the outside of a structure and is usually exposed to
fluid or air. The basal, bottom, side faces the underlying cells. For instance, the apical sides of
intestinal cells have finger-like structures that increase surface
area for absorbing nutrients.

Image showing three cells lining the small intestine. Each cell
contains a nucleus and is surrounded by a plasma membrane.
The tops of the cells have microvilli that face the cavity from
which substances will be absorbed.

Connective tissue

Connective tissue consists of cells suspended in an extracellular

matrix. In most cases, the matrix is made up of protein fibers like
collagen and fibrin in a solid, liquid, or jellylike ground substance. Connective tissue supports and,
as the name suggests, connects other tissues.
Loose connective tissue, show below, is the most common type
of connective tissue. It's found throughout your body, and it
supports organs and blood vessels and links epithelial tissues to
the muscles underneath. Dense, or fibrous, connective tissue is
found in tendons and ligaments, which connect muscles to bones
and bones to each other, respectively.

Loose connective tissue is composed of loosely woven collagen

and elastic fibers. The fibers and other components of the
connective tissue matrix are secreted by fibroblasts.
Specialized forms of connective tissue include adipose tissue—body fat—bone, cartilage, and
blood, in which the extracellular matrix is a liquid called plasma.

Muscle tissue

Muscle tissue is essential for keeping the body upright, allowing it to move, and even pumping
blood and pushing food through the digestive tract.
Muscle cells, often called muscle fibers, contain the proteins actin and myosin, which allow them to
contract. There are three main types of muscle: skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle, and smooth
muscle.
 From left to right. Smooth muscle cells, skeletal muscle
cells, and cardiac muscle cells. Smooth muscle cells do
not have striations, while skeletal muscle cells do.
Cardiac muscle cells have striations, but, unlike the
multinucleate skeletal cells, they have only one nucleus.
Cardiac muscle tissue also has intercalated discs,
specialized regions running along the plasma
membrane that join adjacent cardiac muscle cells and
assist in passing an electrical impulse from cell to cell.

Skeletal muscle, which is also called striated—striped—muscle, is what we refer to as muscle in

everyday life. Skeletal muscle is attached to bones by tendons, and it allows you to consciously
control your movements. For instance, the quads in your legs or biceps in your arms are skeletal
muscle.
Cardiac muscle is found only in the walls of the heart. Like skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle is
striated, or striped. But it's not under voluntary control, so—thankfully!—you don’t need to think
about making your heart beat. The individual fibers are connected by structures called intercalated
disks, which allow them to contract in sync.
Smooth muscle is found in the walls of blood vessels, as well as in the walls of the digestive tract,
the uterus, the urinary bladder, and various other internal structures. Smooth muscle is not striped,
striated, and it's involuntary, not under conscious control. That means you don't have to think about
moving food through your digestive tract!

Nervous tissue

Nervous tissue is involved in sensing stimuli—external or internal cues—and processing and

transmitting information. It consists of two main types of cells: neurons, or nerve cells, and glia.
The neurons are the basic functional unit of the nervous system. They generate electrical signals
called conducted nerve impulses or action potentials that allow the neurons to convey information
very rapidly across long distances. The glia mainly act to support neuronal function.

Picture of neuron. The neuron has projections called dendrites that receive signals and projections
called axons that send signals. Also shown are two types of glial cells: astrocytes regulate the
chemical environment of the nerve cell, and oligodendrocytes insulate the axon so the electrical
nerve impulse is transferred more efficiently.

Organs
Organs, such as the heart, the lungs, the stomach, the kidneys, the skin, and the liver, are made up
of two or more types of tissue organized to serve a particular function. For example, the heart
pumps blood, the lungs bring in oxygen and eliminate carbon dioxide, and the skin provides a
barrier to protect internal structures from the external environment.
Most organs contain all four tissue types. The layered walls of the small intestine provide a good
example of how tissues form an organ. The inside of the intestine is lined by epithelial cells, some
of which secrete hormones or digestive enzymes and others of which absorb nutrients. Around the
epithelial layer are layers of connective tissue and smooth muscle, interspersed with glands, blood
vessels, and neurons. The smooth muscle contracts to move food through the gut, under control of
its associated networks of neurons.2^22start superscript, 2, end superscript
Cross-section of the GI tract. From outside to inside: Blood vessels, networks of nerves in smooth
muscle layers, connective tissue, more smooth muscle, another layer of connective tissue, epithelial
tissue, and empty space in the middle as the path of digested food.

Organ systems
Organs are grouped into organ systems, in which they work together to carry out a particular
function for the organism.
For example, the heart and the blood vessels make up the cardiovascular system. They work
together to circulate the blood, bringing oxygen and nutrients to cells throughout the body and
carrying away carbon dioxide and metabolic wastes. Another example is the respiratory system,
which brings oxygen into the body and gets rid of carbon dioxide. It includes the nose, mouth,
pharynx, larynx, trachea, and lungs.