Plant CELL function

The plant cell is structurally very similar to the animal cell. Although in general both coincide in many of their functions, plants present some differences in functions thanks to the small variations that they have compared to the animal cell. In this lesson from a TEACHER we review what is the plant cell function. If you want to learn them, keep reading!

Index

1. What is a plant eukaryotic cell?
2. What functions does the plant cell have?
3. Cell types in plant organisms

The eukaryotic plant cell is the cell that forms not only plants, but also all plant organisms such as algae, mosses, vegetables, fruits, trees, grass, or roses.

By way of review, the eukaryotic plant cell It is formed by a semi-rigid wall formed mainly by cellulose myofibrils, a plasma membrane, the cytoplasm and nucleus and the organelles, such as plastids, mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, vacuoles, peroxisomes, and some granules of stock.

One of the main and best known functions of plant organisms is that of the photosynthesis, which distinguish them from any animal or prokaryotic cell. Through photosynthesis, plant organisms are able to make their own food through the use of sunlight and water.

Like any living organism (or cell), plant cells perform the functions of nutrition, reproduction and movement. Here we are going to see the main functions of the plant cell so that you know them.

Nutrition

Plant organisms have a autotrophic nutrition, as opposed to heterotrophic nutrition of the animals. In it, the plant cells themselves develop the complex process of making their own substances, processes known as photosynthesis.

To carry out this process, the cell captures sunlight in specialized cell organelles and fixes the carbon dioxide and together with the water and minerals it absorbs from the earth, it makes its own matter organic.

In a very brief way, plant cells carry out photosynthesis by taking 6 molecules of carbon dioxide (6CO2) and combining it with 6 molecules of water. (6H2O) and fixed sunlight, transform inorganic matter into organic matter, in the form of 6 glucose molecules (6H12O6) releasing 6 oxygen molecules (6O2). The cellular organelles that carry out this process are chloroplasts.

Movement

Movement is another function of the plant cell. Plant cells possess a certain displacement of cell oragans through the cytoplasm of the cell, particularly chloroplasts. It is a function known by the name of cyclosis and that occurs thanks to the cytoskeleton of cells and the large vacuole present in plant cells.

When looking at some aquatic plant cells, such as Elodea, it is easy to see how the chloroplasts move towards the light. In algae, ferns and mosses, their reproductive cells move towards the light at the time of reproduction. This phenomenon of cyclosis is specific to plant cells and it is not possessed by animal cells. One of its functions is to facilitate the exchange of substances.

Reproduction

Plant cells can reproduce like prokaryotes by bipartition or direct division, gemmation, sporulation (in some fungi) or like eukaryotic organisms through mitosis or by meiosis.

Now that you know the function of the plant cell, let's take a look at the different types of cells that exist in plant organisms.

Although all cells have a common structure, as occurs in animals, where we have hepatocytes, kidney cells or blood cells, in plant organisms we also have different types of cells specialized in different functions. L

Botanists differentiate two general types of cells based on their ability to divide. These are the initial or meristematic cells, which are found in the growth and division centers of the plants, where mitotic activity is high and cells differentiated, derived from cells meristematic. At the same time These differentiated cells are classified into:

• Sclerenchyma cells: They are cells that are part of the supporting tissue of the plant, known as sclerenchyma. Since their main function is to defend and give mechanical support to the plant, they are dead cells, without cytoplasm, hard, rigid and with thickened and impermeable secondary walls, formed mainly by lignin. The name of sclerenchyma comes from the Greek sclera 'hard and enchyma 'substance'.
• Collenchyma cells: They are cells that are part of a supporting tissue called collenchyma, present in young plants and herbaceous plants. This tissue provides flexibility to the young stems, petioles and nerves of the leaves, therefore, they are cells that provide traction, resistance and flexibility to the tissues. Collenchymal cells are cells that are alive during their maturity, they have an elongated shape and are equipped only with a primary wall.
• Parenchyma cells: they are the cells that are part of almost all the fundamental tissues of plant organisms. They are little specialized cells, since they develop multiple functions within a plant organism, such as transport, storage of substances or photosynthesis itself.

If you want to read more articles similar to Plant cell function, we recommend that you enter our category of biology.

• Raven, P. H., & Curtis, H. (1975). Plant Biology (No. Sirsi) i9788428204200). Omega.
• MONTIEL, D. C. M., DE BIANCHI, S. M. P., & MENDIOLA, M. Q. (2013). Plant cell.