Shapes Of A Cell Essay

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Cells are easy to distinguish by their shape. How are the shapes of cells related to their functions? Cells are the basic unit of a living organism. They are the smallest independently functioning unit in the structure of an organism, usually consisting of one or more nuclei surrounded by cytoplasm and enclosed by a membrane. The shape of a cell is related to its function because of the adaptations made throughout time to make the cell as efficient as it can be. There are two types of cells, eukaryotic cells, which are generally plant and animal cells and prokaryotic cells which relate to bacteria and fungi, which undergo asexual production. Plants are anchored into the ground by roots. The function of roots is the transportation of water and mineral ions from the soil into the xylem to transport around the plant. The roots have an outer layer of cells called root hair cells that have a specific shape that makes the uptake of water and mineral ions more efficient. They have a long, thin extension of the cell surface membrane that extends into the soil. This increases the surface area of the root dramatically, and the thin epithelial lining surrounding the root decreases the diffusion distance between the soil and inside of the cell, again…show more content…
The first is the flagellum at the end of the body that beats to propel the sperm through the uterus to the fallopian tube, which aids the sperm in getting to the egg more quickly, and helps direct the sperm to the egg. The head is streamlined which, again, helps the sperm to reach the egg quickly as it needs to beat the other sperm cells. At the tip of the head there is a tooth called an acrosome which contains digestive hydrolytic enzymes which allows the sperm cell to digest the epithelium of the egg and fertilise it. It is pointed in shape to allow the sperm cell to penetrate the membrane of the egg much more

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