3.4: Cell Structure Varies by Cell Type

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Rosanna Hartline
West Hills College Lemoore

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Cell Structure Varies by Cell Type

Cells, even within the same organism, are diverse. In the human body there are about 200 different types of cells. The size, shape, subcellular organelles and structures, and functions of these different cell types vary widely. To illustrate the cell diversity of the human body further, let's consider examples of four cell types: goblet cells, spermatozoa, neurons, and muscle fibers. Carefully examine the diagram and the table below to investigate how these four cells types differ. Please note that the diagram below presents the different cell types in a way that is not to scale when comparing the sizes of one cell type with another. See the table below to compare the typical sizes of these cell types.

Diagram shows the different shapes and structures of goblet cells, spermatozoa, neurons, and muscle fibers

Above: Four different types of human cells are shown above: (a) goblet cell, (b) spermatozoon, (c) neuron, and (d) muscle fiber. Please note that these cells are not to scale in relationship to their actual sizes. Of these cells, neurons can be the longest, followed by muscle fibers, spermatozoa, and goblet cells are the smallest of these cells.

Letter in the diagram above	Name of this cell type	Size of the cell type	Function of this cell type	How the cell's structure enables its function	Location(s) of this cell type
(a)	goblet cell	~10 µm	produces and secretes mucin, a protein that mixes with water after it is secreted to make mucus	contains lots of RER that produces and packages mucin; contains stored mucin in storage vesicles until secretion is initiated; microvilli increase surface area for increased secretion	mucus membranes (e.g. respiratory tract, digestive tract)
(b)	spermatozoon	head is 3-6 µm head to tail is ~60 µm	transports genetic information (DNA) to the female reproductive tract to fuse with an ovum for offspring production	contains a nucleus (DNA) carrying genetic information; contains mitochondria to power flagellar movement; has a flagellum to propel the cell through the female reproductive tract and to the ovum	produced in the testes
(c)	neuron	diameter is 5-150 µm can be as long as ~1 m (1 m is about 3.3 feet)	transmits information, sometimes long distances, for communication of sensory and motor information using electrical signals	dendrite branches collect information from other cells; axons transmit information sometimes long distances; axon terminal branches transmit information to the next cell in the information chain; microfilaments position ion channels and receptors along the axon; ion channels in the plasma membrane shifts electrical charges across the membrane to transmit information	brain, spinal cord, nerves (throughout the body)
(d)	muscle fiber or skeletal muscle cell	100 µm-3 cm long (3 cm is about as long as an adult's thumbprint)	contract (shorten) to enable movement	contains an abundance of microfilaments for cellular movement; mitochondria provide energy required for movement; contains sarcoplasmic reticulum (a type of SER) which releases Ca²⁺ to initiate contraction	attached to the skeleton

Attribution

"Anatomy and Physiology" by J. Gordon Betts et al., OpenStax is licensed under CC BY 4.0