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Plant cell
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Plant Cell Definition

A plant cell refers to any cell of a plant. It is the structural
Plant cell and functional unit of plants. Plant cells are presumed to
n., plural: plant cells
have evolved from the early green algae and probably
[pʰl̥eənt sɛl]
first occurred in the early Paleozoic era, more than 500
Definition: the structural and functional unit of
million years ago. Plant cells were first observed by an
plants
English natural philosopher, Robert Hooke. With the
availability of a microscope, he was able to see plant cells
from a bottle cork sample. He noticed microscopic pores that resembled a honeycomb. He, then,
coined the term cells to refer to these tiny pores. Initially, he thought that they were empty cells.
With the availability of more advanced microscopes, scientists were able to observe the living
components of plant cells. Typically, a simple plant cell has membrane-bound cell structures (called
organelles) that are suspended in the cytoplasm.

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Plant cell (biology definition): the structural and functional unit of a plant. Compare:
animal cell

Plant Cell vs. Animal Cell

A plant cell, similar to an animal cell, is eukaryotic. Eukaryotic cells are characterized by the
presence of organelles, particularly the nucleus, as opposed to prokaryotic cells that lack them.
Although plant cells and animal cells are similar in this regard they have recognizable structural
differences. A plant cell has a rigid cell wall that is absent in an animal cell. There is also a central
vacuole that occupies much space in a plant cell. In an animal cell, the vacuoles are numerous but
small. Plant cells have many chloroplasts whereas animal cells lack them. Chloroplasts are key
organelles in photosynthesis. Thus, plants are capable of making their own food directly from
inorganic sources whereas animals rely on available food from organic sources. They also differ in
how a cell divides. A plant cell divides by forming a cell plate between two daughter cells during the
latter phase of cell division. In contrast, an animal cell forms a cleavage furrow.

Read: Plant Cells vs. Animal Cells – Biology Online Tutorial

Plant Cell Structure

A eukaryotic plant cell possesses various cell structures: nucleus, chloroplasts,

mitochondria, a central vacuole, Golgi apparatus, and endoplasmic reticulum. The cell is
surrounded by a cell membrane and further enveloped by a plant cell wall.

A typical plant cell structure includes organelles, cytoplasmic structures, cytosol, cell membrane
(also called plasma membrane), and cell wall. Plant cell organelles include plastids, nucleus,
mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, and Golgi apparatus.

The nucleus is the organelle that modulates the metabolic activities of the cell. It contains
most of the cell’s genetic material. Other genetic materials are located in the semi-
autonomous organelles, the mitochondria, and the chloroplasts.
The mitochondria are the organelles that provide the cells chemical energy, e. g. ATP, by
cellular respiration.
The chloroplasts are chlorophyll-containing organelles that play an important role in the
photosynthetic process. They are the light energy (photon)-harvesting organelles. They
convert inorganic salts, water, and carbon dioxide into complex organic material (e.g. glucose
molecules) as driven by the light energy from a light source (e.g. sunlight).
Apart from chloroplasts, there are also other types of plastids found in a plant cell. They are
the chromoplasts and the leucoplasts. Chromoplasts contain accessory pigments whereas
leucoplasts contain stored food.
The endoplasmic reticulum is the organelle involved in protein synthesis. Together with the
ribosomes, they create proteins that will be transported intracellularly or extracellularly.
 Proteins that are for transport are passed on to the Golgi apparatus where they are packaged
and sorted.
Lysosomes, peroxisomes, and cytoskeletons (microtubules, actin filaments, and intermediate
filaments) are also present in plant cells.
A central vacuole is present and often the largest cytoplasmic structure in a plant cell. It is
essential to plant due to its role in osmoregulation.
All these cytoplasmic structures are suspended in the fluid component of the cytoplasm, the
cytosol. The cell membrane contains the organelles, other cytoplasmic structures, and the
cytosol. It is a semi-permeable, double-membraned covering that is made up of lipids,
carbohydrates, and proteins.
On the cell’s exterior is a cell wall that is responsible for the cell’s turgidity, rigidity, strength,
and resiliency against mechanical stress. A plant cell wall may be made up of two layers of cell
walls, a primary and a secondary wall. A primary cell wall consists of cellulose, pectin, and
hemicellulose. Over time, it could deposit another layer called the secondary cell wall. It is
characteristically thick due to lignin deposition.

For the generalized plant cell model, refer to the illustration of a plant cell above or watch the vid
below.

The Plant Cell | 13 Key Structures

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Types of Plant Cells

Plants are comprised of several cells that may be organized to plant tissues and organs that perform
a particular function. Thus, plant cells may be classified into types based on the tissues they are
associated with. The common plant cell types are meristematic cells, parenchyma cells, collenchyma
cells, sclerenchyma cells, and reproductive cells. Plant cells in a tissue communicate by
plasmodesmata. They are microscopic channels that link plant cells by thin strands. They facilitate
transport between individual plant cells.

1. Meristematic cells
Meristematic cells are the cells of the meristem. These cells are not yet differentiated and divide
actively by mitosis. They are the stem cells of plants, capable of giving rise to any plant cell type.

2. Parenchyma cells
Parenchyma cells are cells of the parenchyma tissues. They have distinctively thin walls (due to the
absence of a secondary wall deposition) and remain alive at maturity. They are involved chiefly in
photosynthesis, food storage, secretion, and phloem loading. Parenchyma cells are the most
common plant cell type. They occur in vascular bundles, leaves, and epidermis. Parenchyma cells
that are involved in photosynthesis are called chlorenchyma cells. Guard cells are another specialized
type of parenchyma cells. They regulate the opening and closure of stomata (plant pores for gas
exchange).

3. Collenchyma cells
Collenchyma cells are cells of the collenchyma tissues. Similar to parenchyma cells, they also lack a
secondary cell wall. They are also often alive at maturity. They differ, however, from parenchyma
cells in having thicker primary cell walls albeit the wall thickenings are irregular. Collenchyma cells
are typically found in the growing shoots and leaves where they provide structural support.

4. Sclerenchyma cells
Sclerenchyma cells are cells of the sclerenchyma tissues. They have thick walls due to secondary
walls and lignin deposition. Unlike the parenchyma and collenchyma cells, the sclerenchyma cells
are dead at maturity. They lose their protoplast. Examples of sclerenchyma cells are sclerenchyma
fibers, sclereids, and bast fibers.

Different types of plant tissues. Credit: Kelvinsong – diagram, CC BY 3.0.

5. Reproductive cells
Unlike animals, plants have an alternation of generations, i.e. the alternating phases of sporophyte
and gametophyte. A sporophyte is a plant form in diploid. It eventually bears sporangia that produce
spores. A spore is a haploid reproductive cell involved in asexual reproduction and gives rise to a
gametophyte.

Each haploid spore divides mitotically to become the gametophyte. Thus, a gametophyte is a plant
form in a haploid condition. It bears gametangia that produce sex cells (gametes). The sex cells are
reproductive cells involved in sexual reproduction. The female sex cell is an egg cell whereas the
male sex cell is a sperm cell. These cells are haploid.

Thus, when they unite they form a diploid zygote. The zygote, then, develops into a new
sporophyte.
 Schematic diagram of the alternation of generation. Source: CNX OpenStax, CC BY-SA 4.0

Biological Importance
Plant cells are important as part of the biotic component of an ecosystem. They are the primary
producers on which non-autotrophic organisms rely as a source of nutrients and organic matter.
Plant cells are also important commercially. Fibers (e.g. phloem fibers) are collected for their
commercial value. They are marketed as jute, hemp, flax, ramie, rattan, and kenaf. They also produce
compounds that have medicinal and industrial value.

Try to answer the quiz below to check what you have learned so far about plant cells.

Quiz
Choose the best answer.

1. What is a plant cell?

The structural unit of a plant body

The structural unit of an animal body

The structural unit of a plant protein

2. Which of these features is present in a plant cell but not in an animal cell?

Presence of a cell membrane

Presence of a cell wall

Presence of a vacuole

3. Organelles for photosynthesis

Chloroplasts

Endoplasmic reticulum

Mitochondria

4. The stem cells of plants

Collenchyma cells

Meristematic cells

Reproductive cells

5. Produces plant sex cells

Sporophyte

Gametophyte

Both sporophyte and gametophyte

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See also
Plant
Cell

References
1. Plant Cell Wall Basics. (2019). Retrieved from Uga.edu website:
https://www.ccrc.uga.edu/~mao/intro/ouline.htm
2. Cell Structure. (2019). Retrieved from Nku.edu website:
https://www.nku.edu/~whitsonma/Bio150LSite/Lab 5 Cells/Bio150LRCellStructure.htm
3. Lab Manual Exercise # 1a. (2012). Retrieved from Palomar.edu website:
https://www2.palomar.edu/users/warmstrong/lmexer1a.htm
4. Plant and Animal Cells Grade 4 Unit 3 Lesson 1. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://coast.noaa.gov/data/SEAMedia/Presentations/PDFs/Grade 4 Unit 3 Lesson 1 Plant &
Animal Cells.pdf
5. Cell Structure and Function. (2019). Retrieved from Msu.edu website:
https://msu.edu/~potters6/te801/Biology/biounits/cellstructure&function.htm

Recommended Sources
Plant Direct – an open access plant science journal that covers various topics in plant
genetics, plant cell biology, plant physiology, plant molecular biology, plant evolution, and
many more.
Fun activity: Plant Cell Coloring worksheet

© Biology Online. Content provided and moderated by Biology Online Editors

Last updated on May 25th, 2022

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