Plant & Animal Cells (D, E)

How animal and plant cells are alike

Both have a nucleus, cytoplasm, mitochondria, and a cell membrane.

Plant cells

Have a cell wall and chloroplasts. Plant cells can make their own food. Plant cells have a large vacuole to store water and food.

Chloroplasts (organelle in plant cells)

Make food from sunlight. Hold chlorophyll that give plants their green color.

How animal and plant cells are different

Plant cells have a cell wall and can make their own food. Look for chloroplasts to identify plant cells. Chloroplasts are the organelles that make food in photosynthesis.

Vacuoles

Store food and water in the plant cell. In animal cells, vacuoles are also used for storage and are much smaller.

Animal cells

The cell membrane is the outer layer of an animal cell. Animal cells do NOT have chloroplasts OR a cell wall. Vacuoles are small.

Cells

All living things are made of cells. Plant and animal cells have similarities and differences.

Cell membrane

Outermost layer of animal cells. Inside the cell wall in plant cells. The cell membrane controls what goes into and out of the cell.

Cell wall

Outside layer of plant cells. The cell wall provides support to plants - it is rigid or hard.

Cytoplasm

Part of cell between the nucleus and the cell membrane. The cytoplasm is a gel-like substance that surrounds the organelles. Important chemical substances move through the cytoplasm.

Nucleus

Part of cell that contains chromosomes, DNA. The nucleus is like the "brain" of the cell.