Differentiation switches certain genes on in some cells and certain genes off in other cells. This created specialized cells programmed to perform certain functions.
Step-by-step explanation:
So, unicellular organisms are simply organisms with only one cell, like bacteria. This is the difference between multicellular and single cellular organisms. The cells in multicellular organisms (like in animals and plants) are differentiated or have differentiation. In differentiation, simple cells become specialized. In this process, they can change in 5 different ways. They are shape, size, metabolic activity, responsiveness to stimuli, and/or genetic composition.
For example, Liver cells look and function differently from our white blood cells. Also, nerve cells are extremely different from red blood cells. However, all of these different cells came from a single cell. The reason behind this is differentiation. Differentiation moves around certain genes in some cells and certain genes off in other cells. This creates specialized cells programmed to perform certain functions.