Animal cell and plant cell
Set the structure of animal and plant cells side by side and there are similarities as well as a number of differences. There are four main differences.
| Animal cell | Plant cell |
|---|---|
| There is no cell wall. | There is a cell wall. |
| The cytoplasm takes up most of the space in the cell. | The cytoplasm is pushed out to the periphery of the cell. |
| There are no large vacuoles. (Sometimes a few very small temporary vacuoles may be present.) | There may be a large central vacuole, or several vacuoles. |
| There are no chloroplasts. | Chloroplasts are usually present. |
Four differences, two facts
These four do not have to be memorised as four separate items. The first, third and fourth are all about three parts the plant cell has and the animal cell does not. The second is a consequence of one of them.
The three the plant cell has alone
- The cell wall
- The large central vacuole
- Chloroplasts
The cytoplasm is pushed to the periphery because of the second of them — so these three are all there is to hold on to.