Cells and organisation · GCSE Biology
Animal and plant cells
Label animal and plant cells for GCSE Biology: nucleus, mitochondria, ribosomes, cellulose wall, chloroplasts, vacuole, and the structure–function links examiners actually mark.
Shared kit: membrane, cytoplasm, nucleus, mitochondria, ribosomes. Plant extras: cellulose wall, chloroplasts, permanent vacuole. Then match each part to a job.
The important bits
What you need to know
- 1
Animal and plant cells are both eukaryotic. DNA is stored as chromosomes in a nucleus bounded by a nuclear membrane.
- 2
The cell membrane is partially permeable: it controls which substances enter and leave. Cytoplasm is a jelly-like solution where most chemical reactions happen.
- 3
Mitochondria are the site of aerobic respiration (glucose + oxygen → carbon dioxide + water). Cells with a high energy demand (muscle, sperm, root hair) contain many mitochondria.
- 4
Ribosomes synthesise proteins from amino acids. They are too small to see with a school light microscope; electron micrographs show them as tiny dots.
- 5
Plant cells have a cellulose cell wall that provides strength and support and stops the cell bursting when turgid. Animal cells have no cell wall.
- 6
Chloroplasts contain chlorophyll, which absorbs light for photosynthesis: 6CO₂ + 6H₂O → C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6O₂. They are abundant in palisade mesophyll, absent in root hair cells.
- 7
A permanent vacuole filled with cell sap keeps the plant cell turgid by pressing the cytoplasm against the wall. Animal cells may have small temporary vacuoles only.
- 8
Typical sizes: animal cell ~20 µm, plant cell often 30–100 µm, nucleus ~5–10 µm. Use these orders of magnitude to check magnification calculations.
Quotations worth analysing
Short evidence. Real method.
“Mitochondria are the site of aerobic respiration.”
Pair the name with the equation or with “transfers energy for cell processes”. “Powerhouse of the cell” is not mark-scheme language.
“Plant cells have a cellulose cell wall, chloroplasts and a permanent vacuole.”
List all three plant extras. Missing cellulose or calling the wall “rigid plastic” drops a mark.
“The cell membrane controls the movement of substances into and out of the cell.”
Use “controls entry and exit”, not “protects the cell”. Protection is closer to the wall’s job in plants.
Go deeper
Which organelles do I have to put on both cells?
Nucleus, cytoplasm, cell membrane, mitochondria and ribosomes belong on both animal and plant cells. Students lose marks by leaving mitochondria off a plant cell, as if plants only photosynthesise. Plant cells respire all the time, including at night, so mitochondria are required. Ribosomes belong on both because both make proteins. The three extras on the plant cell only are the cellulose wall, chloroplasts and the large permanent vacuole. Root cells are still plant cells but usually lack chloroplasts because they are underground — that is specialisation, not a different cell type. When you draw, keep the membrane as a thin line inside the wall. Labelling the wall as the membrane is a frequent error on low-power diagrams.
Go deeper
How do I write a structure–function sentence that scores?
Name the structure, state the feature, then give the advantage. “Lots of mitochondria so more aerobic respiration, transferring energy for contraction” scores for muscle. “Chloroplasts containing chlorophyll absorb light for photosynthesis” scores for palisade cells. “Cellulose cell wall provides strength and prevents bursting when water enters by osmosis” scores for turgid plant cells. “It is adapted” or “helps it do its job” does not. Examiners also want location: mitochondria in the cytoplasm, chlorophyll in chloroplasts, DNA in the nucleus. If a comparison table is blank, fill plant-only rows with wall, chloroplast, vacuole, and write “present in both” for nucleus, membrane, mitochondria and ribosomes rather than leaving cells empty.
Go deeper
Why do plant cells not burst in pure water when animal cells do?
Water enters both cells by osmosis if the surroundings are more dilute. An animal cell swells and may lyse because only a thin membrane resists the extra volume. A plant cell has a strong cellulose wall. The vacuole and cytoplasm press outwards (turgor) but the wall pushes back, so the cell becomes turgid rather than bursting. In concentrated solution, both cells lose water: the animal cell crenates (shrivels); the plant cell becomes plasmolysed as the membrane pulls away from the wall. That osmosis link is how this page feeds the transport topic. In the exam, mention cellulose wall and turgor together. “The wall protects it” is too thin.
See the idea in action
A question shows Cell A with a nucleus, mitochondria and a membrane only, and Cell B with those plus a cellulose wall, chloroplasts and a large vacuole. Cell A is an animal cell; Cell B is a plant cell. Chloroplasts absorb light for photosynthesis, so Cell B can make glucose. Both cells respire in mitochondria. If Cell B were a root hair cell, chloroplasts would be absent even though it is still a plant cell, because it is underground and does not photosynthesise.
Exam technique
Turn knowledge into marks
When the command word is explain, give function with the name: “chloroplast — contains chlorophyll to absorb light for photosynthesis”. For compare questions, use a table in your plan: both / plant only / animal only (no wall, no chloroplasts, no permanent vacuole).
Common mistakes
Do not give these marks away
- 01
Leaving mitochondria off plant cells, or saying plants do not respire.
- 02
Calling the cell wall the cell membrane, or saying animal cells have a cellulose wall.
- 03
Writing “chloroplasts make energy” instead of absorbing light to make glucose by photosynthesis.
Which structures are found in plant cells but not in animal cells?
ANucleus, mitochondria and ribosomes
BCellulose cell wall, chloroplasts and a permanent vacuole
CCell membrane and cytoplasm only
DPlasmids and flagella
Show the answer
Cellulose cell wall, chloroplasts and a permanent vacuole. Both cell types are eukaryotic and share a nucleus, mitochondria, ribosomes, cytoplasm and membrane. The plant extras are wall, chloroplasts and permanent vacuole. Plasmids are bacterial.
Quick questions
If this is the bit you searched
What organelles do animal and plant cells share?
Nucleus, cytoplasm, cell membrane, mitochondria and ribosomes. Plant cells also have a cellulose wall, chloroplasts and a permanent vacuole.
Why do plant cells have a cell wall?
The cellulose wall strengthens the cell and prevents it bursting when it becomes turgid as water enters by osmosis.
Do plant cells have mitochondria?
Yes. Photosynthesis happens in chloroplasts; aerobic respiration happens in mitochondria. Plant cells respire all the time.
Where are chloroplasts found in a leaf?
Mainly in palisade mesophyll cells near the top of the leaf, where they can absorb the most light. Root cells usually have none.