Animal Cells and Plant Cells

      a) Animal cells

• All living things include animals and plants are made up of cells. 
• Cells are the basic units of life.
• An animal cell is rounded with a nucleus in the middle.
• Animal cells are eukaryotic cells, filled with a transparent jelly-like substance and enclosed by a cell membrane.
• The transparent jelly-like substance known as cytoplasm.
• Protoplasm includes both structures of nucleus and cytoplasm.

  An animal cell

                                                  A human cell under microscope

      b)Plant Cells

• Plants are also made up of cells.
• Same as animal cells, plant cells also enclose by a cell membrane. The cell membrane is protected by cell wall. 
• A plant cell consists of a nucleus. 
• Each cell is filled with a jelly-like substance known as cyctoplsm. Both the nucleus and cytoplasm are made up of a substance known as protoplasm.
• Furthermore, some plant cells have a large space filled with cell sap. This large space is called vacuole. 
• Chloroplast is the organelles found in plant cells that conduct photosynthesis.   

 A plant cell

 

A plant under microscope

Functions of the Structures in Cells

Cell Structure     Function

Nucleus                Control all the activities in a cell

Cell membrane     Enclose and protect the cell

Cell wall               Maintains the shape of the plant cell

                            Act as protector to the plant cell

Cytoplasm           Keep water and nutrients inside the cell

Chloroplast          Produce chlorophyll which is required to do photosynthesis

Vacuole               Hold sap in plants