What is Cell Differentiation?

Cell differentiation refers to the process by which cells of the same origin gradually produce cell groups with different morphological structures and functional characteristics. As a result, cells differ in space, and the same cell in time has a different state from its previous state. different. The essence of cell differentiation is the selective expression of the genome in time and space. By turning on or off the expression of different genes, a landmark protein is eventually produced. In general, the cell differentiation process is irreversible. However, under certain conditions, differentiated cells are also unstable, and their gene expression patterns can also change reversibly and return to their undifferentiated state. This process is called differentiation.

Cell differentiation refers to the process by which cells of the same origin gradually produce cell groups with different morphological structures and functional characteristics. As a result, cells differ in space, and the same cell in time has a different state from its previous state. different. The essence of cell differentiation is the selective expression of the genome in time and space. By turning on or off the expression of different genes, a landmark protein is eventually produced. In general, the cell differentiation process is irreversible. However, under certain conditions, differentiated cells are also unstable, and their gene expression patterns can also change reversibly and return to their undifferentiated state. This process is called differentiation.

Chinese name

Cell Differentiation

Foreign name

cellular differentiation

Applied discipline

Zoology-Animal Embryology

Applied discipline

Introduction to Embryology-Embryology

Differentiation characteristics

Durable, stable, irreversible, universal

key problem

Gene regulation

Introduction to cell differentiation

Cell differentiation refers to the process by which cells of the same origin gradually produce cell groups with different morphological structures and functional characteristics. As a result, cells differ in space, and the same cell in time has a different state from its previous state. different. The essence of cell differentiation is the selective expression of the genome in time and space. By turning on or off the expression of different genes, a landmark protein is eventually produced. In general, the cell differentiation process is irreversible. However, under certain conditions, differentiated cells are also unstable, and their gene expression patterns can also change reversibly and return to their undifferentiated state. This process is called differentiation.

Cell differentiation characteristics

The characteristics of cell differentiation include: The potential of cell differentiation gradually "narrows" with the development of individuals. During embryonic development, cells gradually change from "totipotent" to "pluripotent", and finally the trend toward "unipotent" is the cell The general law of differentiation; Cell differentiation is spatiotemporal. During the development of individuals, multicellular biological cells have both temporal and spatial differentiation. Cell differentiation is compatible with the cell division state and speed. It is based on division, that is, differentiation must accompany division, but dividing cells do not necessarily differentiate. The higher the degree of differentiation, the worse the ability to divide; Cell differentiation has a high degree of stability. Under normal physiological conditions, cells that have differentiated into a specific, stable type are generally impossible to reverse to an undifferentiated state or become other types Differentiated cells; Cell differentiation is plastic, and differentiated cells re-enter an undifferentiated state or transdifferentiate into another type of cell under special conditions.

Recent studies have found that some "inducing" factors can directly reprogram mouse and human somatic cells (such as skin fibroblasts) to dedifferentiate into induced pluripotent stem cells with multidirectional differentiation potential. , IPS cells), where mouse iPS cells have been shown to have developmental totipotency.

Cell differentiation is affected by a number of factors. During the embryonic period, the interaction between embryonic cells affects the direction of their differentiation, and there is a relationship between induction, competition and inhibition in embryonic cells. Non-adjacent distant cells mainly use hormones as interacting differentiation regulators. The direction of cell differentiation can be changed by environmental factors.

Cell differentiation reference

Chen Yuhua. Time Control of Cell Differentiation and Gene Expression. Edited by Yang Tian. Medical Cell Biology. 3rd Edition, Beijing: People's Medical Publishing House, 2014, p201-229.