Plant cell

Introduction

The cell is the basic unit of life present in all types of organisms. Just like humans and animals have cells, plants are also made up of many cells. In a plant cell, a cell wall surrounds the cell. It helps to give the cell a shape.

In addition to the cell wall, other organelles are present in the cell that are concerned with various cellular activities. This article will help you learn about the plant cell and its functions, parts, types, and more.

Plant Cell Definition

Plant cells are the basic unit of life found in organisms belonging to the Plantae Kingdom. Just like animal cells, these are also eukaryotic cells. Thus, they are composed of a true nucleus and have specialised structures, which we refer to as organelles.

These organelles are known for carrying out various functions. There is a unique organelle in a plant cell that we refer to as chloroplasts. These organelles are responsible for creating sugars through photosynthesis. There is also a cell wall, with the cell wall function is to offer structural support to the cell.

Different Parts of a Plant Cell

There are different parts present in the plant cell that allow it to carry out functions. We refer to these parts as organelles. While there are several common organelles between plants and animals, there are some specialised parts that exist only in plants. We will look at some of these parts below:

Chloroplasts

Chloroplast is the site of photosynthesis in the cells of a leaf. This specialised organelle exists only in plants and a few types of algae. It is responsible for the execution of photosynthesis.

Chloroplast turns water, light energy and carbon dioxide into nutrients. Through these nutrients, the plants can gain energy. Some of the plant cells can contain around one hundred chloroplasts. These organelles are disk-shaped, and a double membrane surrounds them.

Vacuoles

What makes a plant cell unique is that it has a large central vacuole. It is a small sphere of plasma membrane present within the cell that may have ions, fluid, and other molecules. They are large blisters and can be present in cells of various organisms.

But, plant cells contain a large vacuole that may take up to 30% to 90% of the cell’s total volume. The plant cell’s central vacuole helps maintain the turgor pressure. If the turgor pressure lowers, the plant will wilt.

Cell Wall

It is a tough layer that surrounds the plant cell. It provides strength to the cell and maintains high turgidity. Cellulose, lignins, hemicelluloses, pectin and other molecules are present in this wall.

The cell walls of other organisms differ from the plant cell wall due to their composition. Most importantly, animal cells do not have a cell wall while plant cells do. There are two cell walls in a plant cell, primary and secondary. The former is a flexible layer on the outside, while the latter is a thick and rigid layer on the inside.

Other Organelles

In addition to the ones mentioned above, there are other organelles in a plant cell similar to organelles in different kinds of eukaryotic cells. 

DNA is present in the nucleus. It consists of instructions to make proteins responsible for controlling all the body’s activities. Further, it also regulates the division and growth of the cell.

In ribosomes, proteins synthesise in the endoplasmic reticulum. They modify, fold, sort, and package the Golgi apparatus into vesicles. Plant cells also consist of mitochondria that produce ATP.

There is cytosol within the cells, i.e., the liquid composed of water, proteins, ions, and small molecules. A cytoskeleton is a network of filaments and tubules present all over the cell’s cytoplasm that provides shape to the cell and stabilisation of tissues. It also anchors organelles and plays a role in cell signalling. Further, the entire cell is surrounded by a cell membrane.

Types of Plant Cell Tissues

Plant cells create essentially five types of tissues. Each of them has various functions. Superficial plant tissues contain a single cell type and are known as sclerenchyma, parenchyma, and collenchyma. On the other hand, there are complex tissues with a mixture of cell types known as xylem and phloem.

Xylem Cells: They carry out the transportation of significant water and some nutrients from the plant’s root to the stem and leaves.

Phloem Cells: They carry out the transportation of nutrients that is gained during the process of photosynthesis. Similarly, they also carry out the vehicle of a liquid solution that is high in sugars known as sap.

Collenchyma Tissue: It offers support to the plant’s growing parts. Moreover, they are elongated with thick cell walls and keep growing and changing shape as the plant develops.

Sclerenchyma Tissue: They consist of complex cells. Moreover, sclerenchyma cells have very thick cell walls and are dead.

Parenchyma Tissue: It represents the majority of cells present in a plant. Present in leaves, these tissues store substances like proteins and carry out cellular respiration, photosynthesis, and other metabolic processes.

Conclusion

All in all, plant cells have specific distinctive features that include cell walls, chloroplasts, and intracellular vacuoles. Through chloroplasts, photosynthesis takes place. Moreover, the cell walls in the plant cell enable the plant to have solid and upright structures. Similarly, the vacuoles present in the cells can regulate the cell’s water handling and its ability to store other molecules.