ANIMAL AND PLANT CELL

Animal cell

An animal cell seen with a light microscope contains protoplasm surrounded by a thin plasma menbrane. Each cell has a relatively large central nucleus surrounded by cytoplasm. The nucleus contain coiled threads called chromatin, Chromatin contain DNA and protein called histones which together condense to form chromosomes during cell division. DNA carries genetic
material which control cell activities and determines the organism ‘s characteristic. Cytoplasm contain organelle such as mitichondrion suspended in the cytosol. They are specialised to carry out specific functions. Cytoplasm contain glycogen granules, a kind of polysaccharides as a food storage.

Plant cell

Plant cell refer to the cell of the bryophytes , ferns, cornifers and angiospermae. The simpler organism such as the algae fungi and blue green bacteria are not classified under the kindom plantae.

Many of the structures found in animal cells also occur in the plant cells. In a typical plant cell, additional speciailised structure are present. There is a protective, rigid, cellulose cell wall surrounding the cell. Cholroplast in the cytoplasm contain chlorophyll pigment which carry out photosynthesis. A large central vacoule filled with cell sap is present in mature plant cells. The vacoule is surrounded by tonoplast. The nucleus and cytoplasm are usually perpheral. Plant cell contain starch granule as polysaccharides food storage.

Comparison of animal and plant cells

ANIMAL CELL	PLANT CELL
No cellulose cell wall, only plasma membrane	Have rigid cellulose cell wall and plasma membrane
No plasmodesmata and pits	Plasmodesmata and pits present in cell wall
No chloroplas	Choloplast present in potosynthesis cell
Small, temporary vacoule	Large , permanent central vacoule filled with cell sap.
No tonoplast	Tonoplast arround vacoule
Nucleus often central , cytoplasm throughout the cell.	Nucleus and cytoplasm usally peripheral
Centrioles present	No centrioles
Contain glycogen granules for food storage	Contain starch granules for carbohydrat storage
Some cell have cillia or flagela e.x. ciliated epitelium of trachea oviductus, flagelum of sperm	No cilia and flagela
Lysosomes are present	Lysosomes usually absent except insectivorous plant e.x. Nepenthes, Utricularia
Smaller than plant cell	Often larger than animal cell although cell size varies greatly