Question

What are the main difference between plant and animal cells?

Answer 1

Main differences between animal and plant cell are:-
1.Size: Animal cells are generally smaller than plant cells. Animal cells range from 10 to 30 micrometers in length, while plant cells range from 10 and 100 micrometers in length.
2.Shape: Animal cells come in various sizes and tend to have round or irregular shapes. Plant cells are more similar in size and are typically rectangular or cube shaped.
3.Energy Storage: Animals cells store energy in the form of the complex carbohydrate glycogen. Plant cells store energy as starch.
4.Proteins: Of the 20 amino acids needed to produce proteins, only 10 can be produced naturally in animal cells. The other so-called essential amino acids must be acquired through diet. Plants are capable of synthesizing all 20 amino acids.
5.Differentiation: In animal cells, only stem cells are capable of converting to other cell types. Most plant cell types are capable of differentiation.
6.Growth: Animal cells increase in size by increasing in cell numbers. Plant cells mainly increase cell size by becoming larger. They grow by absorbing more water into the central vacuole.
7.Cell Wall: Animal cells do not have a cell wall but have a cell membrane. Plant cells have a cell wall composed of cellulose as well as a cell membrane.
8.Centrioles: Animal cells contain these cylindrical structures that organize the assembly of microtubules during cell division. Plant cells do not typically contain centrioles.
9.Cilia: Cilia are found in animal cells but not usually in plant cells. Cilia are microtubules that aid in cellular locomotion.
10.Cytokinesis: Cytokinesis, the division of the cytoplasm during cell division, occurs in animal cells when a cleavage furrow forms that pinches the cell membrane in half. In plant cell cytokinesis, a cell plate is constructed that divides the cell.
11.Glyoxysomes: These structures are not found in animal cells, but are present in plant cells. Glyoxysomes help to degrade lipids, particularly in germinating seeds, for the production of sugar.
12.Lysosomes: Animal cells possesslysosomes which contain enzymes that digest cellular macromolecules. Plant cells rarely contain lysosomes as the plant vacuole handles molecule degradation.
13.Plastids: Animal cells do not have plastids. Plant cells contain plastids such as chloroplasts, which are needed for photosynthesis.
14.Plasmodesmata: Animal cells do not have plasmodesmata. Plant cells have plasmodesmata, which are pores between plant cell walls that allow molecules and communication signals to pass between individual plant cells.
15. Vacuole: Animal cells may have many small vacuoles. Plant cells have a large central vacuole that can occupy up to 90% of the cell's volume.