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All plants and animals are composed of cells. These cells have a common form. These are eukaryotic cells – meaning they contain membrane bound organelles.
Animal cell
Plant cell
Organelles & features common to both animal and plant cells
| Organelle/ feature | Function |
| Nucleus | The nucleus stores and organizes the genetic information of the cell in the form DNA |
| Vacuole | The vacuole contains the water for the cell as well as acting to store ions and at times toxin for the cell to be later excreted. |
| Mitochondria | The mitochondria generates energy – it breaks down a molecule called pyruvate which comes from glucose into ATP. ATP is the energy currency of the cell. |
| Rough Endoplasmic reticulum | The rough ER is apart of the process of translating the RNA – which is a copy of the DNA stored in the nucleus – into proteins which can be used to build the cell. |
| Ribosomes | Ribosomes are studded on the rough endoplasmic reticulum – they function to produce the proteins. |
| Smooth Endoplasmic reticulum | Smooth ER moves the proteins that are manufactured around the cell to where they are required. |
| Golgi Apparatus | The Golgi apparatus encapsulates proteins or what ever the cell wants to remove from the cell in a cell membrane. This can then be removed from the cell. |
| Cytoplasm | The cytoplasm is the fluid space inside the cell between the membrane bound organelles. |
| Cell membrane | The cell membrane determines what can enter and leave the cell, is involved in cell signaling and provides protection for the cell. |
| Chloroplast (only found in plants) | The chloroplast transforms light energy into chemical potential energy. |
| Cell wall (only found in plants) | The cell wall provides the cell with the ability to stand upright, it is through a turgid cell membrane that the cell wall has outwards pressure which acts as a support network allowing trees to grow so tall. |
Memorize.
Master.
Question 1. [4 marks]
Compare and contrast animal and plant cell organelles.
