What features differ between animal and plant cells?

Animal and plant cells share many similarities. For example, they both have: a nucleus, which houses the genetic material; a cytoplasm, where the chemical reactions of the cell occur; a cell membrane, which allows substances in and out of the cell; mitochondria, which release energy from respiration; and ribosomes which synthesise proteins that form the building blocks of of the cell. However there are some important additional features of plant cells. Plant cells have a cell wall. This is thick and maintains rigidity of the cell. They also have a vacuole which contains sap, and this allows the cell to remain swollen with water. Lastly, plant cells contain chloroplasts. These are small, vital structures that contain a green pigment which absorbs light energy. This unique adaption allows the photosynthesis reaction to occur inside the chloroplast, generating enough energy to meet the needs of the plant cell.

Answered by Gemma W. Biology tutor

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