Cell Structure of Animal and Plant Cells: The Basic Building Block of the Living Organism

The building blocks of all living things are cells. The fact that life is cellular is one of the characteristics shared by all life on earth. Unicellular organisms are made up of just one cell, but roughly 1 billion years ago, cells began to group together and specialise to become multicellular species like animals and plants.

What features do all cells share?

A cell membrane encloses every cell. A phospholipid kind of lipid and a combination of proteins make up the cell membrane. The ability of the cell membrane to operate as a partially permeable barrier that can regulate which molecules can enter and leave the cell may be its most important function.

The cytoplasm, a fluid mixture of substances, is found inside the cell membrane. Since many enzymes are dissolved in the cytoplasm, the cytoplasm serves as the site of several metabolic events within the cell. The cytoplasm is also home to a large number of ribosomes, which are little nanomachines used in the assembly of proteins.

And that is about it in terms of characteristics shared by all cells. In this lesson, you must comprehend the simplified structures of two eukaryote cells: a normal animal cell  and a typical plant cell. Prokaryote cells (bacteria) have a fundamentally different cell structure and lack organelles.


Cells in both plants and animals have a nucleus. The genetic material, DNA, is contained in this organelle, which is the biggest in the body. Chromosomes are long, thread-like structures that contain the DNA. By controlling the production of certain proteins, the nucleus manages both the cell's ability to divide and its numerous tasks.
The mitochondria, which are the organelles linked to aerobic respiration, are found in both animal and plant cells. In the cytoplasm of the cell, mitochondria are identifiable as sausage-shaped organelles with a folded inner membrane (see diagram below)

Structures that are Unique to Plant Cells


1) The cellulose carbohydrate, which makes up the cell wall of all plant cells, is thick and hard. Since the hard cell wall stops the plant cell from bursting when it absorbs water through osmosis, the cell wall causes plant cells to become turgid. The cell wall can serve as a channel for infections to travel between plant tissues and also act as a barrier for some pathogens.




2) A sizable central sap vacuole is a permanent feature of all plant cells. In many plant cells, this organelle, which is surrounded by a membrane known as the tonoplast, occupies the majority of the cell's volume.

To prevent excretory molecules from contaminating the cytoplasm, excretory molecules can be transported into the cell's sap vacuole. Additionally, it affects the water balance of plant cells since the sap has a low water potential due to the large amount of solute that has been dissolved in it. As a result, water is drawn across the cell membrane from the cytoplasm and ultimately from outside the cell.

3) Chloroplasts are present in some but not all plant cells. These are the organelles connected to the photosynthesis process. Chloroplasts are tiny, green cell structures that can be identified in an image under a light microscope. The chlorophyll molecules that store solar energy are what produce the green colour. Chloroplasts in an electron micrograph are distinct.





Difference between Animal cells and Plant Cells