BIOENERGETICS

Comparison of Plant and Animal Cell

PLANT CELL ANIMAL CELL
Cell wall is present Cell wall is absent
Centrioles are absent Centrioles are present
Plastids are present Plastids are absent
Have large vacuole May have small vacuoles

1. CELL WALL
 It is an outer non-living, rigid layer of cell.
 It is present in bacterial cells, fungal cells and plant cells.
 It is permeable membrane chiefly composed of cellulose or chitin.
 It gives rigidity, mechanical support and protection to the cell

2. PROTOPLASM
 It is a living substance of the cell that possesses all vital products made up of inorganic and organic
molecules.
 It includes cytoplasm and nucleus.
 Purkinje coined the term protoplasm in 1837
 Huxley called protoplasm as “Physical Basis of Life”

3. CYTOPLASM
 It is a jellylike, semi fluid matric present between the cell membrane and nuclear membrane.
 It has various living cell inclusions called Cell organelle and non-living cell inclusions.
 The cytoplasm without cell organelles is called cytosol.

4. CELL MEMBRANE OR PLASMA MEMBRANE

 It is a semi-permeable membrane present in all cells.
 It is present below the cell wall in plant cell and outermost membrane in animal cell.
 Regulates what passes in and out of the cell
 It is composed of phospholipids, proteins, carbohydrates and cholesterol.
 It allows the outward and inward movement of molecules across it. The movement of the molecules across
the plasma membrane takes place by diffusion, osmosis, active transport, phagocytosis (cell eating) and
pinocytosis (cell drinking)
CELL ORGANELLES
1. MITOCHONDRION/ CHONDRIONSOME
 A spherical or elongated organelle containing genetic material and
many enzymes important for cell metabolism, including those
responsible for conversion of food to usable energy called ATP.
 Carries out cellular respiration
 Produces ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate)
 Surrounded by double membrane with a series of folds called
cristae.
 “Powerhouse of the Cell”

2. GOLGI APPARATUS/GOLGI COMPLEX/ GOLGI BODY

 The main function of the Golgi apparatus is to be responsible for
handling the macromolecules that are required for proper cell
functioning.
 It processes and packages these macromolecules for use within the cell
for secretion.
 Packages proteins foe export
 Forms secretory vesicles
 “The Shippers”

3. ROUGH ENDOPLASMIC RETICULUM (RER)

 It has ribosome attached to the cytoplasmic side of the
membrane.
 Ribosomes are granular appearing bodies that line the ER;
they are comprised primarily of RNA and some proteins.
 They are the site of translation, the process of decoding
mRNA into proteins based on genetic information passed
from DNA to mRNA.
 Protein synthesis

4. SMOOTH ENDOPLASTIC RETICULUM (SER)

 It lacks attached ribosomes.
 The SER has a wide range functions including carbohydrate
and lipid synthesis.
 It serves as a transitional area for vesicles that transport ER to
products to various destinations.
 Site for synthesis and metabolism of lipids

RIBOSOMES
 Responsible for protein production via translation. These are cell organelles made of RNA and proteins; they
are transported to the cytoplasm, which are then attached to the endoplasmic reticulum. Ribosomes are the
protein-producing organelles of a cell.
 “Site of Protein-Synthesis”

5. CYTOSKELETON
 Is a network of fibers throughout the cell’s cytoplasm that helps the cell maintain its shape and gives support
to the cell.
 It is also involved in the cellular motility and in moving vesicles within a cell, as well as assisting in the
information for food vacuole in the cell.
 Structural support and cell movement
 Examples: Microtubules and microfilaments

6. VACUOLES
 Are membrane-bound vesicles in the cytoplasm that are formed by “in-pocketing” of the cell’s membrane,
particularly as part of an immune response for foreign substances, such as bacteria.
 Vacuoles may fuse with lysosomes as part of the process to destroy bodies and substances that the cell
recognize as foreign.
  Storage compartment for water, sugars, ions, and pigment
 “Storage of the Cell”

7. LYSOSOMES
 Contains hydrolytic digestive enzymes
 Holds enzymes that digest and break down cellular materials;
 Digest macromolecules and cell debris
 “Garbage Bags of the cell”

8. PEROXISOME/ MICROBODIES
 Membrane- enclosed bodies that contain enzyme, such as catalases, are responsible for a series of oxidizing
(energy-producing) reactions.
 It detoxifies alcohol, form bile acid, and use oxygen to break down fats.

9. CENTROSOME
 It is found in animal cells and in some motile algae.
 It is absent in plant cells.
 It is present near the nucleus.
 Has two cylindrical structures called centrioles surrounded by a less dense cytosol called centrosphere.
 These centrioles are arranged at right angles to one another. Each centriole is made up of a whorl of nine
triplets of microtubules. These microtubules run parallel to one another. The adjacent microtubules are
connected by proteinaceous strands.
 Anchor and assemble microtubules
CHLOROPLAST/ PLASTIDS
 Present in plant cells only
 “Site of Protein Synthesis”
VESICLES
 Membrane-bound sac
 Stores and transports substances
NUCLEUS
 The control center of the cell; thus it regulates all processes inside the cell.
 It contains the information molecule, DNA within the chromosomes.
 Directs proteins synthesis
 “Control Center of the Cell”