Plant Cell

biology · plants · cells

Tough outer armor. Plant cells have a strong cell wall made of cellulose that wraps around the outside. This is what makes plants stiff and helps them stand up straight without a skeleton like animals have.

Built in solar panels. Plant cells contain plastids, which are special structures that catch sunlight and turn it into food through photosynthesis. These are what make plants green and able to feed themselves using just light and water.

Enormous water balloon. Deep inside each plant cell sits a huge vacuole that's like a giant water balloon. It pushes outward against the cell wall to keep the plant firm and crispy, which is why wilted plants droop when they don't get enough water.

Unique splitting trick. When plant cells divide to make new cells, they build something called a cell plate right down the middle to split apart. This is completely different from how animal cells divide, which squeeze in the middle like a pinching balloon.

No tiny tails or spinners. Plant cells don't have flagella or centrioles, which are tiny structures that help some other cells move. This is one reason plants stay in one place and don't swim around like some bacteria or sperm cells do.