C O U R T N E Y S I B L E Y &

M A G G I E G A G N O N

Plant vs. Animal Cells

Introduction

In our presentation, we are going to talk about the differences between animal and plant cells, as well as why they differ from each other. Both plant and animal cells are eukaryotes. They have cell membranes surrounding the cell that regulates the movement of substances in and out of the cell.

Animal Cell

Animals obtain energy by eating a plant, or another animal who has eaten a plant. An animal cell is more rounded than a plant cell because it has no cell wall, they only have a cell membrane.

Plant Cell

Plants obtain their energy through Photosynthesis and because of this, they have chloroplasts. A plant cell is square shaped and has rounded corners because it has a cell wall. They have a much bigger vacuole because it is filled with cell sap. When you water a plant, the water collects in a vacuole and makes it stiff. This is why plants wilt if they do not get enough water.

Cellulose

Cellulose is a natural polymer, a long chain of linked sugar molecules. Cellulose is a polysaccharide produced by linking additional sugars in exactly the same way.

It is located in the cell wall and gives plant cells the rigidness. An example would be celery, the crunch you hear when you bite into it is because of the cellulose in the cell wall. Because of the strong bonds between each cellulose molecule, it is very hard to break down.

Most animals can’t digest cellulose because it is so hard to break down. Animals that eat only plants have special sacs in their digestive system to help break down cellulose. Humans can’t digest cellulose either and because cellulose passes through the digestive tract undigested, it helps maintain the health of intestines.

The sugar units are linked when water is eliminated by combining the -OH group and H

Similarities and Differences

Animal Cell Plant CellEndoplasmic Reticulum: Present PresentRibosomes: Present PresentMitochondria: Present PresentVacuole: one + One large VacuoleCentrioles: Present only in lower formsPlastids: Absent PresentGolgi Apparatus: Present PresentCell wall: Absent PresentPlasma Membrane: Cell membrane Cell wall + membraneMicrotubules: Present PresentFlagella: some cells some cellsLysosomes: in Cytoplasm usually not evidentNucleus: Present PresentCilia: Present very rareShape: Round Rectangular Chloroplast: Absent PresentCytoplasm: Present Present

Plant vs. Animal Cells Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9exRxOozxtI