Glen is a professional writer and illustrator from Cape Cod who writes on an array of subjects including science, history, music, and more.

What Are Cells?

Cells have often been referred to as "the building blocks of life," and indeed they are.

All forms of life, from simple bacteria to human beings, are made up of cells. What is remarkable is that, despite their differences in appearance, plant and animal life are made up of cells that are the same in most respects.

In both animals and plants, cells generally become specialized to perform certain functions. Nerve cells, bone cells and liver cells, for example, all develop in ways that enable them to better perform their specific duties.

The most important structures of plant and animal cells are shown in the diagrams below, which provide a clear illustration of how much these cells have in common. The significant differences between plant and animal cells are also shown, and the diagrams are followed by more in-depth information.

What Are the Differences Between Plant and Animal Cells?

Plant cells have to perform two functions that are not required of animal cells:

1. Produce their own food (which they do in a process called photosynthesis).
2. Support their own weight (which animals usually do by means of a skeleton).

The structures possessed by plant cells for performing these two functions create the primary differences between plant and animals cells. These structures are:

Structures Unique to Plant Cells

• Cell Wall: A wall on the outside of the membrane, which, in combination with the vacuole (as described below), helps the plant cell maintain its shape and rigidity.
• Plastids: Used in photosynthesis to convert sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water into food. The most well-known plastids are chloroplasts, which contain the chlorophyll that gives many plants their green hue.
• Large Vacuole: While animal cells may have many tiny vacuoles, a plant cell usually has a single large vacuole, which serves as a storage tank for food, water, waste products, and other materials. The vacuole has an important structural function, as well. When filled with water, the vacuole exerts internal pressure against the cell wall, which helps keep the cell rigid. A plant that is wilting has vacuoles that are no longer filled with water.

While animal cells do not have a cell wall, chloroplasts, or a large vacuole, they do have one component plant cells do not. This is:

Structures Unique to Animal Cells

• Centrioles: Animal cells contain organelles known as centrioles, which are not present in plant cells. Centrioles help move chromosomes during cell division. Since animal cells are softer than plant cells, centrioles are required to ensure the chromosomes are in the proper location when the cell divides. Plant cells, with their more fixed shape, can safely assume that the chromosomes are correctly positioned.

Comparing the Components Plant and Animal Cells

What Are the Similarities Between Plant and Animal Cells?

Both plant cells and animal cells are Eukaryotic cells. These are cells that contain a well-defined nucleus and in which the other organelles are held together by membranes.

What Is an Organelle?

An organelle is any specialized structure that is contained within a cell. Organelles perform various functions to keep the cell alive.

Organelles that can be found in both plant and animal cells include the following:

Similarities Between Plant and Animal Cells

Why Do Plant and Animal Cells Have so Much in Common?

As hard as it may be to imagine, biologists believe that at an early point in the evolution of life on Earth, plants and animals once shared a common ancestor. All life on Earth, it seems, is truly related.

Plant Cells vs. Animal Cells: Compare and Contrast (Video)

References

• Wallace, Holly. Cells And Systems. Chicago: Heinemann Library, 2006.
• Phenlan, Jay. What Is Life? A Guide to Biology. New York: W.H. Freeman and Company, 2010.
• Exams India. Differences Between Plant and Animal | Cell Procaryotic and Eucaryotic Cell 2012.

© 2012 Glen Nunes

Comments

REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE on April 16, 2020:

is dis how baby made?

I am cat on April 14, 2020:

That author picture...

damename on April 03, 2020:

why are pee red

My science on March 31, 2020:

This is very amazing.I love science

futfugckyrkcyrd on March 30, 2020:

i eat bugs

London bridge is falling down my fair lady on March 11, 2020:

Owlcation is a useful tool indeed (website) for science and also owlcation can you teach us math, English, social studies I’m officially a subscriber

lilratboi on March 06, 2020:

Very helpful I will not be failing science today

leen on February 28, 2020:

i ate 4 cheps and now i cant dore rite

hgvhjv on February 26, 2020:

What the heck!?

ghhyjyt on February 26, 2020:

Guys here are the answers:

plant cell

1. produce their own food

2. support their own weight

3. cell wall

4. chloroplast

animal cell

1. centroiles

(thats all I have sorry)

both

1. eukaryotic

2. cell membrane

3. cytoplasm

4. nucleus

5. mitochondria

6. ribosomes

7. EK

Name on February 24, 2020:

these comments doe

DADDY SCIENCE on February 19, 2020:

YUM I LOVE SCIENCE

Richard Noggin on February 19, 2020:

I eat Bugs

cells on February 11, 2020:

This is helpful for class work :)

Abdiqani qumane on January 15, 2020:

Thanks

matts hairline on January 10, 2020:

food love to eat healthy

AND I OPP- on December 17, 2019:

SKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSSKSKSurmomgaySKSKSKS

stan bts cowards on December 16, 2019:

i am confusion

why am i here on December 09, 2019:

sorry for the first comment, but i love this kind of stuff.

why am i here on December 09, 2019:

why am i here

Yeeeeeeeet on November 27, 2019:

So what is the difference between the both the ribosomes in the plant and animal cells

text is wrong farts on November 26, 2019:

what is the definition for the cell wall and chloroplast

I_LOVE_WARRIOR_CATS on November 11, 2019:

Very good source of information to answer questions that you might have or need answered.

ari on November 08, 2019:

awsomee

Science Nerd on November 07, 2019:

Very very very very good source

Yeet on November 07, 2019:

This was very VERY helpful for my homework!

Stop on November 07, 2019:

Stop putting random chat that has nothing to do with the website

person... on November 07, 2019:

I loved this article it was very useful

ERIKA on November 07, 2019:

This plant cell and animal cell is the best to read such fun

BIG NOOB on November 06, 2019:

It the great read article thi yes

What UP PEASANTS on November 06, 2019:

hello shout out to all my weebs

Coolshark360 on November 06, 2019:

WOW this is awesome

Coolshark360 on November 01, 2019:

Awesome

joe on November 01, 2019:

hey joe

dnfrjfn on October 30, 2019:

skkssksksksksksksksks

my tiktok is rickandmorry on October 30, 2019:

does anyone rember vine

g on October 30, 2019:

helpful

gihhbfgh3rh3urge on October 30, 2019:

gugfyhcysgi2hywfd

? on October 30, 2019:

Not helpful i asked the diffrence but only simularities

? on October 29, 2019:

Sksksksk

-oop on October 29, 2019:

Hello

Hiiiii on October 29, 2019:

You very weird yoooooooooooooooooo BIG CHUNGUSSSS

Someone on October 29, 2019:

Hey you all forgot to put nucleolus, lysosomes and chromatin!

and i oop on October 28, 2019:

and i oop

suka2 ma on October 22, 2019:

diem

xnxx on October 22, 2019:

www.xnxx.com

mcd on October 21, 2019:

msmsmsmsms

bedljebf on October 18, 2019:

mmsmsmsmms

uh oh on October 18, 2019:

stinky

yeet on October 17, 2019:

yeet

Everyone below me is gay on October 17, 2019:

good information but everyone below me, are probably the type of people to slam a revolving door

notting on October 16, 2019:

hey bots welcome to fortnite chapter 2 season 1 and u are hot garage so 1v1 bots

my tik tok is .micahhainin on October 15, 2019:

uh ohhh stinkyyy

uh oh stinky on October 11, 2019:

uh oh stinky

ask me who joe is 69 9/11 420 gang on October 11, 2019:

ur mom lose

Xx_big_shots_lol_baskaball_69_xX on October 11, 2019:

bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbig oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooof

#im in the mba dog

Richa Singh on October 10, 2019:

Thanks

Richa Singh on October 10, 2019:

Hello

ETP445 on October 10, 2019:

uh oh, funny, stinky. Haha! Poopy

69 snitch on October 10, 2019:

Why u snitching

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOF on October 10, 2019:

Very valiable info check it out if you read this thanks

unknown on October 10, 2019:

you are ugly

hahah on October 10, 2019:

nosirr

oof on October 10, 2019:

let me get a yeasir

pi on October 08, 2019:

hello

dillon m on October 07, 2019:

your mad lol

joe mama on October 07, 2019:

and i ump

fortnite rocks on October 04, 2019:

hello i ;love fortnite

yo mam on October 03, 2019:

heck yea

dont.worry on September 30, 2019:

this is whackkkk

uh oh on September 26, 2019:

uh oh u read this that means ur dumb but to fix it subscribe to my you tube channel top 5 gaming and you be so smart

Antonio on September 25, 2019:

Great video, has alot of information Antonio

UrMom on September 25, 2019:

Hi my name is Trey, and I have a basketball game tomorrow...

UrMomGay on September 25, 2019:

Hi my name is Trey, and I have a basketball game tomorrow...

daddy on September 25, 2019:

daddy

feff on September 25, 2019:

;) :) my name feff

115 on September 24, 2019:

cool pie cell yeet

Johnny on September 24, 2019:

Hey Glen, can you help me with my plant Cell project please?

Unknown on September 24, 2019:

Thanks for helping me on my assignment! BTW, your site tottaly ROCKS

flipflop on September 24, 2019:

fortnite is bad

Vivek on September 15, 2019:

Thanks really i am very happy moja answer mill gayia

Thank you so much

Michell Sanchez on September 14, 2019:

I need imformation about stuff

Jared on September 12, 2019:

hi my names Jared and i never frickin learned how to read

its me j on September 12, 2019:

yolo hi 9/12

we_like fortine on September 12, 2019:

we like fortnite

vc on September 11, 2019:

just play fortnite]

no on September 04, 2019:

amazing

james on August 30, 2019:

good

maddawg on August 29, 2019:

your site trashxoxo

the on August 19, 2019:

aayyyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

we like fortnite we like fortnite on August 14, 2019:

not important

MEMOS on August 14, 2019:

I guess it is good enough for now :l

Tarun Sahu on July 20, 2019:

From this we get many information about the plant and Animal cell thank you for this information

fuck on July 13, 2019:

good

wagwan g on June 28, 2019:

good

Trachelle on June 26, 2019:

This was very helpful

mohamed tholley on June 20, 2019:

i want you to make it big

jasmine on June 12, 2019:

this is really great helped me with my project alot! thanks and to those ppl commenting dumb and endgame stuff thats not even what this article is about and its not dumb you are

soja on May 02, 2019:

true

Swathika on April 03, 2019:

Fantastic