Cell type
Encyclopedia
A cell type is a distinct morphological or functional form of cell
. When a cell switches state from one cell type to another, it undergoes cellular differentiation
. A list of distinct cell types in the adult human body may include several hundred distinct types.
Cell (biology)
The cell is the basic structural and functional unit of all known living organisms. It is the smallest unit of life that is classified as a living thing, and is often called the building block of life. The Alberts text discusses how the "cellular building blocks" move to shape developing embryos....
. When a cell switches state from one cell type to another, it undergoes cellular differentiation
Cellular differentiation
In developmental biology, cellular differentiation is the process by which a less specialized cell becomes a more specialized cell type. Differentiation occurs numerous times during the development of a multicellular organism as the organism changes from a simple zygote to a complex system of...
. A list of distinct cell types in the adult human body may include several hundred distinct types.