Discover the parts of a Eukaryotic cell & the differences between

animal and plant cell

What Is an Animal Cell?

• All living things are made of cells

• All animal cells AND plant cells are eukaryotic cells (as opposed to the prokaryotic cells of
single-celled organisms such as bacteria).
• Eukaryotic cells contain a nucleus and other organelles.
• Eukaryotic cells are bigger and more complex than prokaryotic cells.
• Animal cells lack the hard cell wall and chloroplasts that are present in plant cells. They also lack
the large, single vacuole present in plant cells.

We will discover in this course the two main types of cells; what an animal cell is; how big animal cells
are; and the differences between animal cells and plant cells.

Cells – The Building Blocks of Life

All living things are made of cells. Whether plant, animal or bacterium: if it’s a living organism, it’s
made up of at least one cell!

Bacteria and other single-celled, or unicellular, organisms are made of just one cell. Animals such as
mammals, reptiles and amphibians can be made up of millions and millions of cells.

The Two Main Types of Cells

There are two main types of cells: eukaryotic cells and prokaryotic cells.

Eukaryotic Cells:

Eukaryotic cells are bigger and more complex than prokaryotic cells. The cells that make up animals,
plants and fungi are eukaryotic cells.

Therefore, animals, plants and fungi can be described as being ‘eukaryotic’.

Although animals and plants are both eukaryotic, there are differences between animal and plant cells.
We’ll learn about these differences further down the page.

Prokaryotic Cells

Bacteria Cell

Bacteria are single-celled organisms. They are prokaryotic cells.

Page 1 of 4
Prokaryotic cells are smaller and simpler than eukaryotic cells. Single-celled organisms such as bacteria
and archaea are made up of a single prokaryotic cell. These organisms can be described as being
‘prokaryotic’.

Eukaryotic cell:
1. Animal Cells
Animal cells are specialized. They have different shapes depending on what job they do within an
animal’s body. A nerve cell, for example, looks very different to a fat cell, and both look different to a
muscle cell.

The basic parts of the cell, however, remain the same whatever the cell’s function.

Parts of an Animal Cell

All animal cells are made up of various different parts. These parts are called subcellular structures. The
parts of a cell that have a specific function are called organelles.

Major Parts of an Animal Cell

✓ Cell membrane – controls what goes in and out of a cell

✓ Nucleus – controls the cell’s activities
✓ Cytoplasm – contains enzymes to accelerate the chemical reaction
✓ Mitochondria – produce energy
✓ Cell membrane: All animal cells have a plasma membrane. This is a barrier that surrounds the
cell and holds it together. It controls what goes in and out of the cell.

Page 2 of 4
The cell membrane is made of proteins and lipids (fatty substances). It is ‘semipermeable’, which means
that some chemicals can get through it, but others can’t.

Most of the organelles within an animal cell are also surrounded by their own membranes.

✓ Nucleus: The nucleus is a big organelle. It controls the activities of the cell. The nucleus
contains chemical instructions in the form of DNA.
✓ Cytoplasm: The cytoplasm is a jelly-like liquid that fills the cell. It contains enzymes that
accelerate the chemical reactions that take place within the cell.
✓ Mitochondrion (Plural: Mitochondria)
Mitochondria are organelles that produce energy for the cell. They are where the cell’s aerobic respiration
takes place. Aerobic respiration transfers energy from glucose (a simple sugar). It requires oxygen to
take place.

The number of mitochondria in a cell depends on the function of the cell. Some animal cells (e.g. red
blood cells) contain no mitochondria. Others, such as liver cells, have over 2000.

Mitochondria are usually oval-shaped.

✓ Ribosome: Ribosomes are very small organelles. They are not surrounded by a membrane.
They are where protein is made within a cell.

Difference between Animal Cells and Plant Cells

2. Plant Cells

Page 3 of 4
Like animal cells, plant cells are eukaryotic. However, there are a number of differences between plant
and animal cells.

As we’ve found, animal cells and plant cells are both eukaryotic cells. However, there are several
differences between them.

Plant cells have the same organelles as animal cells, but also contain the following additional structures:

Cell wall – tough outer wall made of cellulose

Chloroplasts – where photosynthesis takes place

Large central vacuole – contains cell sap

a) Cell wall: Plant cells have a tough cell wall made of cellulose. The plant cell’s plasma membrane
is under the cell wall.
b) Chloroplasts: Chloroplasts are small, flat organelles found scattered throughout the plant cell’s
cytoplasm. They are where photosynthesis takes place. The chlorophyll in chloroplasts gives
them a green color.

Chloroplasts are not present in a plant’s root cells and the cells inside its stem.

c) Single large vacuole: Most plant cells have a single large vacuole. The vacuole is filled with a
liquid called cell sap. This is a weak solution of sugar and salts. The vacuole helps the cell to
keep its shape. If a plant doesn’t have enough water, the vacuoles shrink, and the plant wilts.

Page 4 of 4