1. Cell Wall:
* Function: Provides structural support and protection, helps maintain cell shape, and prevents bursting due to osmotic pressure.
2. Chloroplasts:
* Function: Sites of photosynthesis, converting light energy into chemical energy stored in glucose. Contain chlorophyll, the green pigment that absorbs light.
3. Vacuoles:
* Function: Large, central vacuole that stores water, nutrients, and waste products. Also maintains turgor pressure (firmness) in the cell.
4. Plasmodesmata:
* Function: Channels that connect adjacent plant cells, allowing the passage of water, nutrients, and signaling molecules.
5. Plastids (Other than Chloroplasts):
* Function: Can be involved in storage (amyloplasts for starch), pigment production (chromoplasts for color), or other functions.
6. Cell Plate:
* Function: Forms during cell division, eventually developing into the cell wall that separates the two daughter cells.
Let's compare this to animal cells:
Animal cells do not have these structures. Instead, they have other specialized features like lysosomes (for digestion) and centrioles (for cell division).
Note: Some structures are found in both plant and animal cells, like the nucleus, Golgi apparatus, endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, and ribosomes.
