Cell differentiation is thus a transition of a cell from one cell type to another and it involves a switch from one pattern of gene expression to another. Cellular differentiation during development can be understood as the result of a gene regulatory network.

Why do cells become differentiated?

Importance of Cell Differentiation

Each type of cell that develops creates tissue-specific proteins, which are only found in that cell type and are what give the cell its unique structure and function. Cells need to have different structures because they have different functions.

What specifically makes a cell differentiated?

Cell differentiation, the fourth process, is a gradual process by which cells acquire different structure and function from one another, resulting in the emergence of distinct cell types, for example, neurons or skin cells. Differentiation is fundamentally about the different proteins cells contain.