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Table of Contents
Like all living organisms, plants are also made up of cells, which are the basic unit of life. These cells allow plants to perform their metabolic functions such as photosynthesis.
See the fact file below for more information on Plant Cells or alternatively, you can download our 27-page Plant Cells worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
WHAT ARE PLANTS?
- Plants are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms that can manufacture their own food through the process of photosynthesis. Although they are also multicellular and eukaryotic, they have unique characteristics that set them apart from other multicellular and eukaryotic organisms.
UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS OF PLANTS
- AUTOTROPHIC: Plants can manufacture their own food through the process of photosynthesis. They use light, water, and carbon dioxide to produce glucose.
- IMMOBILE: Plants, unlike animals, are motionless. They lack the organs to move from one place to another. However, they can sometimes respond to their environment. An example of this is plants that can direct their leaves towards the sun.
- CELL WALLS: Compared to animals, the cells of plants have cell walls made up of cellulose. This substance gives plant cells their rigidity.
- Plants are organisms that help sustain life on Earth and would not be able to do this without the different organs, tissues, and cells that allow them to perform processes such as photosynthesis.
THE ORGANELLES OF PLANT CELLS
- Plant cells are eukaryotic cells rectangular in shape and are relatively larger than animal cells. Although very similar to animal cells, the presence of cell walls and specialized plastids set them apart from animal cells.
- Plant cells are made up of organelles that allow them to perform their unique functions. Listed on the next page are the different organelles of plant cells and their corresponding functions.
ORGANELLES OF PLANT CELLS
- CELL WALL: This organelle provides plant cells with structural support and protection. It also serves as a filter that allows specific molecules to enter and exit the cell. Although rigid, cell walls should be flexible to adapt to changes and support cell division. Cell walls prevent plant cells from bursting when water enters. Cell walls are composed of the substance cellulose.
- CELL MEMBRANE: This is a semi-permeable membrane that only allows specific substances to enter and exit the cell. This is composed of a phospholipid bilayer and protein channels.
- NUCLEUS: The nucleus is a membrane-bound organelle that houses a cell’s genetic material. It holds and protects the DNA needed for cell division, and growth.
- PLASTIDS: These are membrane-bound organelles that contain their own DNA. Plastids allow the storage of starch and photosynthesis to take place. Chloroplasts are the most common plastid as they allow plants to perform photosynthesis, a process whereby they manufacture their own food and produce oxygen.
- VACUOLE: Plant cells have a central vacuole that occupies more than 30% of the cell’s volume. Aside from storage, it helps retain cell shape through turgor pressure. It also stores cell sap, a mixture of water, enzymes, ions, and salts.
- MITOCHONDRIA: Known as the powerhouse of the cell, these organelles produce ATP, the energy currency of the cell, through cellular respiration.
- RIBOSOMES: The protein factory of the cell, these are the smallest membrane-bound organelles.
- LYSOSOMES: These organelles serve as the recycling center. They contain digestive enzymes that digest worn-out organelles. Lysosomes also break down substances into raw materials that can be used to build new organelles.
- ENDOPLASMIC RETICULUM: There are two types of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) – the rough and smooth. The rough ER coordinates protein synthesis while the smooth ER specializes in lipid synthesis.
- GOLGI BODIES: Golgi bodies receive proteins from the ER, modify, pack, and send them to their final destination in small bubbles called vesicles.
- Most of the cell organelles listed are found in both animal and plant cells except for cell walls and plastids, which are only found in plant cells. Vacuoles in plant cells are different from animal cells as they are larger in size and each plant cell contains only one large vacuole.
TYPES OF PLANT CELLS
- Plants are complex organisms made up of several tissues and organs. Each tissue and organ is made up of specialized cells that work together to perform a specific function. Thus, we can classify plant cells according to the various tissues they are associated with.
- MERISTEMATIC CELLS: These are the stem cells of the plant that are yet to differentiate and are capable of becoming any type of cell.
- PARENCHYMA CELLS: These are the living cells of all plants and the most common cell type. Parenchyma cells are flexible because they have thin walls. They are found in vascular bundles, leaves, and epidermises. They play a role in gas exchange, food production and storage, and photosynthesis.
- COLLENCHYMA CELLS: Like parenchyma, these cells are also alive at maturity. They also lack a secondary cell wall but are thicker than parenchyma cells. Collenchyma cells provide structural support to growing shoots and leaves.
- SCLERENCHYMA CELLS: Unlike parenchyma and collenchyma cells, these cells are dead at maturity. They have thick walls and are found in all plant roots, providing support to plants.
- XYLEM CELLS: These cells are found in vascular plants and mainly function to transport water from roots to leaves and other parts of the plant.
- PHLOEM CELLS: Like xylem cells, phloem cells are also found in vascular plants. They transport food prepared by the leaves to different parts of the plant.
THE IMPORTANCE OF PLANT CELLS
- The different organelles that make up plant cells, other types of plant cells allow plants to provide other organisms with great benefits.
- Without chloroplasts that trap light and convert inorganic compounds to glucose, plants would not be able to make food for themselves. At the same time, consumers like humans, would not be able to obtain energy without plants.
- Aerobic organisms also won’t survive without plants, as they produce oxygen as a waste product during photosynthesis. Not only this, since the plant needs carbon dioxide to perform photosynthesis, it helps eliminate carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. They also take up atmospheric carbon dioxide through carbon sequestration. This helps mitigate the impacts of global warming and the greenhouse effect.
Plant Cells Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about Plant Cells across 27 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching about Plant Cells which are the basic unit of all plants.
Complete List Of Included Worksheets
- Plant Cells Fact File
- Plant Them Organelles
- Plants vs. Animals
- Matching Tiles
- Fact or Bluff
- Uniquely Important
- Levels of Organization
- Plants Are Necessary!
- Plant, Plant, Plant
- Dedicated To Plants
- Worst Case Scenario
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the main components of a plant cell?
The main components of a plant cell are the cell wall, the cell membrane, the cytoplasm, the nucleus, the endoplasmic reticulum, the Golgi apparatus, the mitochondria, the chloroplasts (in photosynthetic cells), the vacuoles, and peroxisomes.
How does the cell wall contribute to the structure and function of a plant cell?
The cell wall provides support and protection for the plant cell, and it also helps maintain the cell’s shape and regulates the exchange of materials between the cell and its environment. The cell wall is made of cellulose fibers and other polysaccharides that are deposited on the outside of the plasma membrane.
What is the function of the chloroplasts in a plant cell?
Chloroplasts are unique to plant cells and are responsible for photosynthesis, the process by which plants convert light energy into chemical energy. Chloroplasts contain chlorophyll, which absorbs light energy, and other pigments that assist photosynthesis.
How does the nucleus function in a plant cell?
The nucleus contains the cell’s genetic material and is responsible for regulating cell growth and division. It also controls the cell’s activities by directing the synthesis of RNA and DNA, which play essential roles in the expression of genes. The nucleus is separated from the cytoplasm by a nuclear envelope.
What is the role of vacuoles in plant cells?
Vacuoles are large, fluid-filled organelles in plant cells. They play a crucial role in maintaining the cell’s turgor pressure, which helps it keep its shape. Vacuoles also store various substances, such as waste products, pigments, and minerals. In mature plant cells, the vacuole can occupy up to 90% of the cell’s volume.
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Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.