Reading Guide

Animal Cell

Plant Cell

Cell wall

Absent

Present (formed of cellulose)

Shape

Round (irregular shape)

Rectangular (fixed shape)

Vacuole

One or more small vacuoles

(much smaller than plant cells).

One, large central vacuole taking

up 90% of cell volume.

Centrioles

Present in all animal cells

Only present in lower plant

forms.

Chloroplast

Animal cells don't have

chloroplasts.

Plant cells have chloroplasts

because they make their own
food.

Cytoplasm

Present

Present

Ribosomes

Present

Present

Mitochondria

Present

Present

Plastids

Absent

Present

Endoplasmic Reticulum
(Smooth and Rough)

Present

Present

Golgi Apparatus

Present

Present

Plasma Membrane

Only cell membrane

Cell wall and a cell membrane

Microtubules/
Microfilaments

Present

Present

Flagella

May be found in some cells

May be found in some cells

Reading Guide
Animal Cell

Plant Cell

Lysosomes

Lysosomes occur in cytoplasm.

Lysosomes usually not evident.

Nucleus

Present

Present

Cilia

Present

Most plant cells do not

contain cilia.

Plant and animal cells have several differences and similarities. For example, animal cells do
not have a cell wall or chloroplasts but plant cells do. Animal cells are round and irregular in
shape while plant cells have fixed, rectangular shapes.
Plant and animal cells are both eukaryotic cells, so they have several features in common, such
as the presence of a cell membrane, and cell organelles, like the nucleus, mitochondria and
endoplasmic reticulum.
Chloroplasts
Plants are autotrophs; they produce energy from sunlight through the process
of photosynthesis, for which they use cell organelles called chloroplasts. Animal cells do not
have chloroplasts. In animal cells, energy is produced from food (glucose) via the process
of cellular respiration. Cellular respiration occurs in mitochondria on animal cells, which are
structurally somewhat analogous to chloroplasts, and perform the function of producing
energy. However, plant cells also contain mitochondria.
Cell Wall
Plant cells have a rigid cell wall that surrounds the cell membrane. Animal cells do not have a
cell wall. When looking under a microscope, the cell wall is an easy way to distinguish plant
cells.
Vacuoles
Shape and size of vacuoles
Animal cells have one or more small vacuoles whereas plant cells have one large
central vacuole that can take up to 90% of cell volume.
Difference in function of vacuoles
In plant cells, the function of vacuoles is to store water and maintain turgidity of the cell.
Vacuoles in animal cells store water, ions and waste.

Reading Guide
Cellular Respiration
Cellular Respiration, process in which cells produce the energy they need to survive. In cellular
respiration, cells use oxygen to break down the sugar glucose and store its energy in molecules
of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Cellular respiration is critical for the survival of most
organisms because the energy in glucose cannot be used by cells until it is stored in ATP. Cells
use ATP to power virtually all of their activitiesto grow, divide, replace worn out cell parts,
and execute many other tasks. Cellular respiration provides the energy required for an amoeba
to glide toward food, the Venus fly trap to capture its prey, or the ballet dancer to execute
stunning leaps. Cellular respiration occurs within a cell constantly, day and night, and if it
ceases, the celland ultimately the organismdies.
Two critical ingredients required for cellular respiration are glucose and oxygen. The glucose
used in cellular respiration enters cells in a variety of ways. Plants, algae, and certain bacteria
make their own glucose through photosynthesis, the process by which plants use light to
convert carbon dioxide and water into sugar. Animals obtain glucose by eating plants, and fungi
and bacteria absorb glucose as they break down the tissues of plants and animals. Regardless of
how they obtain it, cells must have a steady supply of glucose so that ATP production is
continuous.

Photosynthesis
Not all of the light from the Sun makes it to the surface of the Earth. Even the light that does
make it here is reflected and spread out. The little light that does make it here is enough for the
plants of the world to survive and go through the process of photosynthesis. Light is actually
energy, electromagnetic energy to be exact. When that energy gets to a green plant, all sorts of
reactions can take place to store energy in the form of sugar molecules.
Remember we said that not all the energy from the Sun makes it to plants? Even when light
gets to a plant, the plant doesn't use all of it. It actually uses only certain colors to make
photosynthesis happen. Plants mostly absorb red and blue wavelengths. When you see a color,
it is actually a color that the object does NOT absorb. In the case of green plants, they do not
absorb light from the green range.

Part II: The Chloroplast

Reading Guide
We already spoke about the structure of chloroplasts in the cells tutorials. We want to
reinforce that photosynthesis happens in the chloroplast. Within this cell organelle is the
chlorophyll that captures the light from the Sun. We'll talk about it in a bit, but the chloroplasts
are working night and day with different jobs. The molecules are moved and converted in the
area called the stroma.

Part III: The Molecules

Chlorophyll is the magic compound that can grab that sunlight and start the whole process.
Chlorophyll is actually quite a varied compound. There are four (4) types: a, b, c, and d.
Chlorophyll can also be found in many microorganisms and even some prokaryotic cells.
However, as far as plants are concerned, the chlorophyll is found in the chloroplasts. The other
big molecules are water (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), oxygen (O2) and glucose (C6H12O6). Carbon
dioxide and water combine with light to create oxygen and glucose. That glucose is used in
various forms by every creature on the planet. Animal cells require oxygen to survive. Animal
cells need an aerobic environment (one with oxygen)

http://www.biology4kids.com/files/plants_photosynthesis.html
www.diffen.com/difference/Animal_Cell_vs_Plant_Cell
https://kidsresearchexpress-5.blogspot.com/2008/08/cellular-respiration.html