Biology

Differences between Plants and Animals cells

The cell is the structural and functional unit of living beings. They are microscopic and their discovery is attributed to Robert Hooke in 1665. When Hooke observed the cork using a microscope, he called the squares he saw “cells” or “cells”, based on their similarity to honeycombs.  Differences between Plants and Animals cells 

Types of Cell :  Differences between Plants and Animals cells

Eukaryotic and Prokaryotic  Differences between Plants and Animals cells

There are two types of cells : eukaryotic and prokaryotic. The first are those that make up all multicellular organisms, both animal and plant cells are eukaryotic. The second are those that are self-sufficient in nature, such as bacteria and archaea.

Although both animal cells and plant cells are eukaryotic, there are structural differences between the two and we will see what they are below.

Plant cells

The main difference between an animal cell and a plant cell is that plant cells have a cell wall, which animal cells lack. The cell wall, which is made up of cellulose, is responsible for the cellular rigidity of plants; since the cells of these result in a fixed rectangular shape. Since animal cells do not have this structure, it can be seen that their shape is round and irregular.

Animal cells

Animal cells tend to vary widely in appearance. The cell wall of plants allows them to withstand the high pressure inside without bursting. Because of this, plants are able to accumulate large amounts of fluid. In contrast, animal cells, which only have a thin membrane; they tend to burst when they absorb too much water.

Both animal and plant cells have a defined nucleus, which contains chromosomes. The nucleus is protected and surrounded by the cytoplasm; a watery, gel-like liquid that contains organelles. In turn, the cytoplasm is also maintained in the cell membrane.

All animal cells have centrioles, while only a minority of plants have cells that have this structure. Furthermore, plant cells tend to have a large central vacuole that can represent up to 90% of cell volume. The vacuoles of animal cells are smaller and contain waste materials that, since they cannot be used, are secreted. In plant cells, vacuoles store water and maintain cell turgor; in those of animals, they store water, ions and waste.

Another important difference between animal cells and plant cells is that the latter have chloroplasts, which are used in the photosynthesis process; that allows plants to transform sunlight into food for cells.

Chloroplasts have their own DNA and tend to direct their own work. Animals lack chloroplasts and it is for this reason that they cannot feed only on sunlight.

COMPARISON BETWEEN ANIMAL AND PLANT CELLS

Animal cell

Plant cell

Cell Type            Eukaryote Eukaryote
Cecular Wall            Does not have If you have
Shape      Round and irregular Rectangular
Organelles Plasma membrane

Nuclear membrane

Vesicles

One or more small vacuoles

Centrioles

Cytoplasm

Endoplasmic rectum

Ribosomes

Mitochondria

Golgi apparatus

Microtubules / microfilaments

Flagellum

Lysosomes

Nucleus

Cilia

DNA

 

Plasma membrane

Cellular wall

Nuclear membrane

Plasmodesmus

Large vacuole

Vesicles

Plastos

Chloroplasts

Leukoplasts

Chromatin

Golgi apparatus

Ribosome

Endoplasmic reticulum

Mitochondria

Lysosome

Scourge (some)

Microbodies

Cytoplasm

Nucleus

DNA

Chromatin

RNA

Cytoskeleton

Nucleolus

Mohammad Asif Goraya

M A Goraya has qualification of M.phil in Agricultural Sciences. He has almost 15 years of teaching Experience at college and university level. He likes to share his research based knowledge with his students and audience.

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Mohammad Asif Goraya

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