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.
Animal Cell
Plant Cell
Cell wallAbsentPresent (formed of cellulose)
ShapeRound (irregular shape)Rectangular (fixed shape)
VacuoleOne or more small vacuoles (much smaller than plant cells).One, large central vacuole taking up 90% of cell volume. CentriolesPresent in all animal cellsOnly present in lower plant forms. ChloroplastAnimal cells don’t have chloroplastsPlant cells have chloroplasts because they make their own food CytoplasmPresentPresent
Endoplasmic Reticulum (Smooth and Rough)PresentPresent
RibosomesPresentPresent
MitochondriaPresentPresent
PlastidsAbsentPresent
Golgi ApparatusPresentPresent
Plasma Membraneonly cell membranecell wall and a cell membrane Microtubules/ MicrofilamentsPresentPresent
FlagellaMay be found in some cellsMay be found in some cells LysosomesLysosomes occur in cytoplasm.Lysosomes usually not evident. NucleusPresentPresent
CiliaPresentIt is very rare
Contents: Plant Cell vs Animal Cell
1 Chloroplasts
2 Shape
3 Vacuoles
3.1 Shape and size of vacuoles
3.2 Difference in function of vacuoles
4 Pictures of plant and animal cells
5 Video comparing plant and animal cells
The Essay on Plant Cells Cell Life Animal
Cells were discovered in 1665 by Robert Hooke when he took a piece of cork and looked at it under a microscope. Cork is made up of dead cells but you are still able to see the cells which proved to be interesting to him. He described it as being made up like bricks in a wall and these bricks he then called cells. Due to the size of cells it is nearly impossible to see them without the aid of a ...
6 Types of plant cells
7 References
Chloroplasts
Plant cells have chloroplast for photosynthesis whereas animal cells do not have chloroplasts. Shape Another difference between plant cells and animal cells is that animal cells are round whereas plant cells are rectangular. Further, all animal cells have centrioles whereas only some lower plant forms have centrioles in their 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.
