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Are all cells in our body of the same size or shape?
![2.1.1 Variation in shape and str - The Invisible Living W - [Teachoo] - Concepts](https://cdn.teachoo.com/8d9c7d66-0ead-4c7e-9f61-ff16e82e5e6c/image-different-cell-shapes-side-by-side-including-a-long-branched-nerve-cell-a-spindle-shaped-muscle-cell-and-a-flat-polygon-shaped-che.webp)
- No — body cells come in different shapes and sizes.
- A muscle cell is spindle -shaped; a nerve cell is long and branched .
Muscle cell
Nerve cell
Spindle-shaped
Long and branched
Built to contract
Built to carry messages
Muscle Cell
Nerve Cell
Spindle
shaped
Long and
Branched
Why are different cells shaped differently?
- Cells are shaped differently because they do different functions .
- The shape suits the job — a spindle to contract, branches to carry messages.
Why does a cell's shape suit its job?
Cell shape
Suits its function
Muscle cell
Spindle shape
Contracts to move things
Example:
Pushes food in the food pipe
Nerve cell
Long and branched
Carries messages far
Example:
Reaches distant body parts
Muscle Cell
Nerve Cell
They can Contract
They carry messages
Thin
Long
Flexible
What about plant cells — are they of the same shape and size?
- No — some plant cells are alike, others differ.
- Some are long tubes that carry water through the plant.
Some plant cells
Other plant cells
Rectangular or oval
Long tubes
Ordinary building blocks
Carry water through the plant
📝 Summary - What we have learnt
- Cells differ in shape and size.
- A muscle cell is spindle-shaped; a nerve cell is long and branched.
- A cell’s shape suits its function.
- Plant cells vary too — some are long water-carrying tubes.
