Cells are the smallest unit of life and the building blocks for all organisms. All life on Earth is made from cells. Without cells, there can be no life.
Animal and plant cells have many similarities. Nucleus, cell membrane, cytoplasm and mitochondria are four cell components that are found in both animal and plant cells.
However there are many differences between animal and plant cells. The major differences between animal and plant cells are:
| Characteristic | Animal cell | Plant cell |
| Size and shape | Animal cells are generally smaller than plant cells with their cells ranging from 10-30um in length. Animal cell shapes and sizes vary greatly from irregular shapes to round shapes, most defined by the function they perform. | Plant cells are larger than animal cells with the cell size ranging from 10um-100um in length. Plant cells are similar in shape with most cells being rectangular or cube-shaped. |
| Cell wall | It is absent in animals. | A typical plant cell has a distinct cell wall as its outer boundary. Cell walls in algae are composed of cellulose, galactans, mannans, and minerals such as calcium carbonate, whereas cell walls in other plants are composed of cellulose, hemicellulose, pectins, and proteins. |
| Plasma membrane | The plasma membrane consists of cholesterol in animal cells. The amount of cholesterol in animal plasma membranes regulates membrane fluidity and varies according to the temperature of the cell’s environment. | In plants, the plasma membrane serves two main roles i.e., transport of solutes into and out of each cell, and sensory transduction, which is the sensing and initiation of the cellular response to changing environmental conditions. Plant cells lack cholesterol as well, but they do contain related compounds (sterols) that serve a similar function. |
| Lysosomes | Animal cells have lysosomes, that contain digestive enzymes to break down cellular macromolecules. | Plant cells rarely contain lysosomes as the plant vacuole and the Golgi bodies handle molecular degradation of waste cellular products. |
| Vacuoles | Animal cells may have many small vacuoles, a lot smaller than the plant cell. | Plant cells have a large central vacuole that can occupy up to 90% of the cell’s volume. |
| Centrosome | The centrosome is the primary microtubule-organizing centre (MTOC) in animal cells, and so it regulates cell motility, adhesion, and polarity in interphase, and facilitates the organization of the spindle poles during mitosis. | Most plant cells lack centrosomes but use other structures such as a nuclear envelope, smooth endoplasmic reticulum, and plasmalemma, to organise their microtubules. |
| Nucleus | Lies in the centre of the cell | Lies on one side of the cell |
| Mitochondria | Present and are numerous | Present but fewer in number |
| Golgi bodies | They have larger and fewer Golgi bodies. | They have smaller but more Golgi bodies. |
| Cilia and Filaments | Present; they allow movement of cells or part of the cell, for example, swimming of the sperm to the ova. | Absent in plants |
| Plastids (Chloroplast) | Absent | Present; they give pigmentation color to the plants and also facilitate trapping of light energy used for photosynthesis. |
| Plasmodesmata | Absent | Present; they facilitate the communication and transport of materials across plant cells. |
Must read: Stem cells – sources, therapy and ethical concerns
External link: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/314051773_Difference_Between_Plant_and_Animal_Cells
PRACTICE QUESTIONS
QUES . Which of the following statements are correct regarding the general difference between plant and animal cells? UPSC 2020
1 . Plant cells have cellulose cell walls whilst animal cells do not.
2 . Plant cells do not have plasma membrane unlike animal cells which do.
3 . Mature plant cell has one large vacuole whilst animal cell has many small vacuoles.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Ans (c)
