Differences between animal and plant cells

The main differences between the cells animals and vegetables are the presence of cell wall cellulosic, plastos, cellular juice vacuoles and glyoxisomes in plant cells and the absence of these structures in animal cells. Furthermore, in animal cells we find the presence of lysosomes, which are absent in the plant cell. In this text, we will better address the similarities and differences between these two cell types.

Read too: eukaryotic cells

Similarities between animal and plant cells

We know that animal and plant cells have in common the fact that both are eukaryotic type cells.This means that these cells have the genetic material involved by a nuclear envelope, that is, they are cells that have a defined core. Furthermore, these cells have membranous organelles in their cytoplasm, such as endoplasmic reticulum, golgiense complex, mitochondria and peroxisomes.

Animal and plant cells have a plasma membrane, cytoplasm and defined nucleus.

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Next, we will describe some of the structures present in both plant and animal cells and their respective functions:

• Ribosomes:Structures responsible for protein synthesis in the cell. These cellular structures, which are also found in prokaryotic cells, may be present in eukaryotic cells either free in the cytoplasm or linked to the endoplasmic reticulum and nuclear envelope.

• Mitochondria: Cytoplasmic organelle responsible for the process of cellular respiration, process responsible for ensuring the production of energy in the cell.

• Golgi complex:Cytoplasmic organelle that is related to processes of substance modification, packaging and substance secretion.

• Endoplasmic reticulum: The endoplasmic reticulum can be agranular (smooth) or granular (rough), these two portions being connected. The granular endoplasmic reticulum has ribosomes attached to its surface, while the agranular one does not have this attached structure. The agranular endoplasmic reticulum is related to lipid synthesis and degradation of some substances, while the granular one is related to protein synthesis.

• Peroxisome:Cellular organelles that oxidize organic substrates, strip hydrogen atoms and combine them with molecular oxygen, a process that results in the formation of hydrogen peroxide. This peroxide is quickly eliminated due to the action of an enzyme called catalase.

• Centrioles: Structures related to cell division formed mainly by microtubules. It is noteworthy that this structure is found in both cell types, but it is not present in all plant groups, being present only in some bryophyte and pteridophyte cells.

Unique Plant Cell Structures

Note some of the main structures present in plant cells.

The plant cell presents a series of peculiarities, being relatively simple to differentiate them from the animal cell. In this type of cell, we can highlight the presence of four basic structures:

Plant cells have cellulosic cell walls, plastids, cell juice vacuoles, and glyoxisomes.

• Cellulosic cell wall: In plant cells, outside the plasma membrane, it is possible to observe the presence of another cell envelope, the cell wall. This wall differs from the wall found in other organisms in that it is rich in cellulose. Among the functions of the cell wall, we can mention protection against rupture by water ingress, protection against pathogens, and maintenance of cell shape.

• Plasts or plastids: Plastids or plastids are structures found exclusively in plant cells. These structures stand out for the presence of double membrane and DNA, which suggests that these organelles arose by a process of endosymbiosis. Chloroplasts, chromoplasts and leukoplasts are types of plastids.

  You chloroplasts they are the best known and also the most complex types of plastids. These structures are rich in chlorophyll, but they also contain carotenoids. In the chloroplast, which is the site of photosynthesis, a series of discs called thylakoids is observed. These can be found in some regions forming piles of thylakoids that are called granules or granules. Thylakoids are located in the chloroplast matrix or stroma.

  You chromoplasts they are plastids that have carotenoids and generally lack chlorophyll. We still have the leukoplasts which, unlike other types of plastids, have no pigment. The function of these plastids is to store substances such as starch and proteins. Leukoplasts are called amyloplasts, when they store starch and proteinoplasts, when they store proteins.

• Cellular juice vacuoles or central vacuole: These vacuoles are structures formed by a single membrane (tonoplast), which have a liquid inside called cell juice. This type of vacuole stands out for ensuring that the cell can maintain its osmotic balance and also for storing substances. Furthermore, they are also involved in the breakdown of macromolecules and the recycling of cellular components. Generally, the vacuole occupies a large part of the cell's volume and may represent about 90% of the cell space.

  It is noteworthy that in animal cells we can also observe the presence of vacuoles, but these are different from the type specified above. These vacuoles present in animal cells are called food vacuoless and are formed during phagocytosis. There are also vacuoles called contractile vacuoles, these being found in unicellular organisms such as protozoa.

Read too: vacuoles

• Glyoxisomes: Structures whose function is to ensure the transformation of lipids into carbohydrates. They are important in seed germination and are peroxisome-like organelles.

Unique Animal Cell Structures

Note some of the main structures present in animal cells.

The animal cell, like the plant cell, presents someparticularities. These cells, unlike plant cells, do not have cell walls, plastids, cell juice vacuoles and glyoxisomes. However, they have lysosomes, which are not found in plant cells.

• Lysosomes: Lysosomes are spherical structures that have more than 40 different enzymes. The function of this organelle is to carry out intracellular digestion. In the phagocytosis process, there is a substance engulfing, the formation of the alimentary vacuole and, later, the lysosome fusing with this vacuole and releasing enzymes. In addition to acting in the digestion of molecules, lysosomes act in the autophagy process, in which they act by recycling the cell's own material.

Read too: Differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells

Summary of differences between animal and plant cells

See below a comparative chart with the main cellular structures present in plant cells and animal cells.

MAIN DIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITIES BETWEEN ANIMAL AND PLANT CELLS
Cell Structure	plant cell	animal cell
Plasma membrane	Gift	Gift
cell wall	Gift	Absent
Core	Gift	Gift
ribosome	Gift	Gift
Agranular and granular endoplasmic reticulum	Gift	Gift
Golgi complex	Gift	Gift
peroxisome	Gift	Gift
mitochondria	Gift	Gift
Lysosome	Absent	Gift
centrioles	Only present in some groups (bryophytes and pteridophytes)	Gift
Plasts	Gift	Absent
Cellular juice vacuum	Gift	Absent
Glyoxisomes	Gift	Absent

By Ma. Vanessa Sardinha dos Santos

Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:

SANTOS, Vanessa Sardinha dos. "Differences between animal and plant cells"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/biologia/diferencas-entre-as-celulas-animais-e-vegetais.htm. Accessed on June 27, 2021.