The 4 differences between the animal and plant cells

All living beings share the same basic unit, which is none other than the cell. From the smallest unicellular microorganisms to the most complex multicellular organisms, the cell is always present. But that everything has the same unit, does not mean that it is the same for everyone.

Animals and plants are living beings that have a more complex type of cell-cell interactions; These microscopic bodies organize themselves to form specialized tissues and organs. But a plant is very different from what an animal is, and these differences can already be seen at the cellular level. In this article we will review the differences between the animal cell and the plant cell.

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Main differences between the animal and plant cells

Both animal and plant cells They are eukaryotic, that is, their genetic content is isolated in a nucleus, that separates it from the rest and that presents membranous organelles (complexes that carry out vital functions for this microscopic element). Despite this, specific characteristics are observed that allow distinguishing between plant and animal cells.

Some of these differences are so striking that in the field of histology (study of tissues), with a glance at a tissue sample under a microscope, it is possible to know if it comes from a plant or an animal. Let's see what they are

1. Exterior structures

All cells present a membrane made up of two rows that separate the inside from the outside. Having a second layer covering the cell is not so common anymore, and here lies a difference between animal and plant cells. While the former do not have any secondary layer, plant cells do have the so-called cellulose cell wall. This rigid structure provides protection (as in bacteria) and offers sustainability to tissues, because the wall acts as the foundation for cellular organization.

Animal tissues are also made up of cell networks, although they lack the cell wall. But instead, they present the extracellular matrix, which is not observed in plant tissues. This space is made up of structural proteins, such as collagen, which provides a means of connecting cells to each other and shaping tissues. Despite their differences, the cell wall and the extracellular matrix share functions (structure support).

2. Cellular division

A subject linked to the previous one and that offers differences between animal and plant cells is found in the process of cell division, whether it is mitosis or meiosis. At the moment of dividing the cell in two, the mechanism used is different.

While in animal cells it is by strangulation of the cell membrane, in cells plants is due to the formation of a septum, which will be part of the future cell wall that will separate the two cells sisters.

3. Organelles

The main characteristic of plants is their ability to obtain energy from sunlight, in other words, that they can carry out photosynthesis. This is possible due to the presence in plant cells of a unique organelle, known as a chloroplast, which is in charge of the photosynthesis process with the use of the pigment chlorophyll, which is responsible for the green color of plant leaves and some algae.

Having a cell wall has its advantages as well as its drawbacks. Being isolated, the transit of particles in cells is limited, although it is not so necessary because they carry out photosynthesisIn other words, it does not need an external power supply. On the other hand, animal cells have no other way of obtaining energy than by capturing external substances by their membrane.

In order to assimilate products, cells perform phagocytosis, a process that leads the cell membrane to generate a vacuole or vesicle with the particle inside to later transport this "package" inside to be digested. In a similar way to the stomach, it is necessary for the captured particle to disintegrate into smaller components to absorb them, and for this it is necessary to add enzymes (proteins with catalytic capacity) that digest the substance. These are transported in vesicles known as lysosomes, and so far their presence has not been observed in plant cells.

4. Cytoskeleton

The cytoskeleton is an important element of cells. It is a network of structural filamentous proteins that maintain the shape of the cell, transport organelles and vesicles through the cytosol (internal environment of the cell) and play an important role in cell division.

Although it is a common element, differences are found between animal and plant cells. In the former, forming part of the cytoskeleton an organelle known as a centriole is found. This cylinder-shaped structure is responsible for cell movement through cilia and flagella (filamentous structures of the membrane that allow propelling). It appears that in plant cells no centrioles have been found, just as there are no motile cells (the cell wall prevents displacement).