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Because both plants and animals are living things, they have cells. Cells are the smallest functional and structural units of living organisms, and they make up every part of an organism’s body.
The cell is the building block of both plants and other forms of life. Individual cells are very tiny and can only be seen with the aid of a microscope which magnifies tiny objects.
In some ways, plant and animal cells are similar. In others, they are vastly different.
Differences Between Plant and Animal Cells:
| Plant cell | Animal cell | |
| 1 | Cellulose cell wall present. | Cell wall absent. |
| 2. | Chloroplast present. | Chloroplast absent. |
| 3 | Large central vacuole. | Tiny vacuoles. |
| 4 | Cytoplasm does not fill the cell. | Cytoplasm fills the cell. |
| 5 | Cell sap present. | Cell sap absent. |
| 6 | Nucleus at the edge to cytoplasm. | Nucleus at the centre of cytoplasm.` |
| 7 | It stores lipid as oil. | It stores lipid as fat. |
Similarities Between Plant and Animal Cells:
| Plant cell | Animal cell | |
| 1 | Nucleus present | Nucleus present |
| 2 | Cytoplasm present | Cytoplasm present |
| 3 | Cell membrane present | Cell membrane present |
| 4 | Golgi bodies present | Golgi bodies present |
| 5 | Mitochondria present | Mitochondria present |
Functions of Plant and Animal Cell Components (or Organelles)
| Cell component | Functions | |
| 1. | Nucleus | It controls all life activities of the cell. |
| 2. | Cell membrane | It plays a great role in the selective absorption of minerals and protects the cell. |
| 3 | Vacuole | It contains cell sap which acts as an osmoregulator by helping to remove excess water in the cells. |
| 4 | Chloroplast | They contain chlorophyll which aids photosynthesis in green plants.  |
| 5 | Mitochondria | It is described as the powerhouse of the cell. They are sites of respiration or where energyEnergy is the ability to do work. Energy exists in several forms such as heat, kinetic or mechanical energy, light, potential energy, and electrical energy. Units of Energy: The SI unit of energy is the joule (J) or newton-meter (N * m). The joule is also the SI unit of work. is released from simple sugar. |
| 6 | Golgi bodies | Its function is synthesis, packaging, and distribution of materials. |
Evaluation Questions:
1. Give 3 differences between a plant cell and an animal cell.
2. Give 3 similarities between a plant cell and an animal cell.
3. What is the function of the Nucleus?
Responses