Question

What are the advantages of cell differentiation?

Answer 1

Cell differentiation is a process in which a cell becomes specialized and acquires special abilities to adapt to its surrounding. The phenomena by which the cells derived from root apical shoot apical meristem undergo permanent changes in their structure, biochemistry, size and physiology of cell wall and protoplasm.

Complete answer:
Growth is defined as an irreversible permanent increase in size, volume and weight of an organ or organism caused by synthesis of new intracellular materials i.e., within the cell and extracellular, cell division and cell enlargement. The growth which occurs at the cellular level is due to the increase in protoplasm content. Plant growth takes place in three phases:
(i) Meristematic phase- This phase is also known as the phase of cell division.
(ii) Elongation phase- The cells present just next to the cells of the meristematic zone represent the elongation phase.
(iii) Maturation phase or phase of differentiation- The cells present just next to the cells of the elongation phase represent the phase of differentiation. Cells of this zone attain their maximal size in terms of wall thickening and protoplasmic modifications. After differentiation, the mature cells do not grow further and remain unchanged till death.
Some examples of the differentiation are:
(i) Tracheary element: The tracheary element is formed by the process of differentiation where the cells elongate and lose their protoplasm to form tracheids.
(ii) Chlorenchyma: It is specialized to perform photosynthesis which is developed due to formation of chloroplasts in the living thin-walled cells.
During differentiation cells lose their ability to divide and form permanent cells. But some cells regain their capacity to divide under certain conditions. This phenomenon where certain living differentiated cells regain or attain their ability to divide and form new cells is known as dedifferentiation. A dedifferentiated tissue can act as a meristem e.g., interfascicular vascular cambium, cork cambium, wound cambium.

Note:
The dedifferentiated cells can again lose their ability to divide to form permanent cells specialized for a particular function. The process where the dedifferentiated cells again lose their ability to divide to form permanent cells is called redifferentiation. For example secondary phloem, secondary xylem, cork, secondary cortex, etc.