Plant vs. Animal Cells

Although most cells have the same basic stuff, there are some differences between animal cells and plant cells.

CELL WALL Animal cells do not have a cell wall, only a cell membrane, that’s why animals can move. Plant cells have both a cell wall and a cell membrane, that’s what makes stems rigid, and makes plant cells form rectangular shapes in a brick wall pattern.

SHAPE Animal cells are roundish or blob shaped because they have only a membrane on the outside. Plant cells are kinda rectangular because of the shape of the cell wall. They often look like bricks in a brick wall

COLOR Animal cells are pink, clear, red, orange, bluish, (anything but green) Plant cells are green or sometimes clear if the cell is part of a root that doesn’t see sunlight.

CHLOROPLASTS Animal cells need to absorb sugar for food, so they do not have chloroplasts. Plant cells make their own food from sunlight, so they have chloroplasts to absorb sunlight.

VACUOLES Animal cells have many small vacuoles. Plants need lots of water to conduct photosynthesis, so they need big vacuoles to store lots of water.

LYSOSOMES Animal cells have to take in food, so they have more waste products to digest, and thus more lysosomes. Plant cells have very little waste, so they have very few lysosomes.

MINI-QUIZ

1- What is this organelle?

2- What does this organelle do?

3- Are these plant cells or animal cells?

4- Are these plant cells or animal cells?

5- Plant or animal?

6- This is the cell membrane. What is its job?

7- These are chloroplasts. What do they do?

8- Is this a plant cell or an animal cell?

9- What is the name of this organelle?

10- What is probably inside of this organelle?