Plant cell | Animal cell |
1. Usually larger in size | Comparatively smaller in size |
2. It is enclosed by a rigid cell wall in addition to plasma membrane | No cell wall |
3. It cannot change its shape | It can often change in shape |
4. Plastids are present. Plant cells exposed to sunlight contain chloroplast | Plastids are usually absent |
5. A mature plant cell contains a large central vacuole | An animal cell often possesses many small vacuole |
6. Nucleus lies on one side in the peripheral cytoplasm | Nucleus usually lies in the centre |
7. Centrioles are usually absent except in motile cells of lower plants | Centrioles are practically present in all animal cells |
8. Lysosomes are rare | Lysosomes are always present |
9. Glyoxysomes may be present | Absent |
10. Tight junctions and desmosomes are lacking | They are present |
11. Reserve food is generally in the form of starch | Reserve food is usually glycogen |
12. It can synthesize all the amino acids, coenzymes and vitamins required by them | It cannot synthesize all the amino acids, coenzymes and vitamins required by them |
13. Spindle formed during cell division is anastral i.e. without asters at esthe poles | Spindle formed during cell division is amphiastral i.e. has an aster at each pole |
14. Cytokinesis occurs by cell plate method | Cytokinesis occurs by constriction or furrowing |
15. Plant cell does not burst if placed in hypotonic solution due to the presence of the cell wall | Animal cells lacking contractile vacuoles usually burst, if placed in hypotonic solution |