Plant, animal, and fungal cells are all eukaryotic cells, but they differ mainly in their cell walls, plastids, vacuoles, and certain structures involved in movement and cell division. This is SL and HL content in IB Biology subtopic A2.2, Cell structure.
All three cell types have a plasma membrane, cytoplasm, a nucleus containing DNA bound to histones, 80S ribosomes, mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, and a Golgi apparatus. Their differences reflect how each group obtains nutrients and maintains cell structure.
| Feature | Plant cells | Animal cells | Fungal cells |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cell wall | Present; mainly cellulose | Absent | Present; mainly chitin |
| Chloroplasts and other plastids | Present in appropriate tissues; chloroplasts carry out photosynthesis | Absent | Absent |
| Vacuoles | Usually one large, permanent central vacuole containing cell sap; maintains turgor | Small, temporary vacuoles or vesicles may occur | One or more vacuoles used in storage, digestion, and osmotic regulation |
| Centrioles | Usually absent | Usually present and involved in organizing microtubules | Usually absent |
| Cilia or flagella | Absent from most cells, but present in some plant gametes | Present in some specialized cells, such as sperm | Absent from most fungi, but present in some fungal reproductive cells |
| Typical shape | Often regular because of the rigid wall and turgor | Often flexible or irregular | Often tubular in hyphae because of the rigid wall |
| Nutrition | Usually autotrophic in photosynthetic tissues | Heterotrophic by ingestion | Heterotrophic by external digestion and absorption |
A common misconception is that only plant cells have cell walls. Fungal cells also have walls, but plant walls contain cellulose, whereas fungal walls contain chitin. Another misconception is that every plant cell has chloroplasts: root cells, for example, normally do not.
Exam technique: For a “distinguish” question, state paired differences, such as “plant cells have cellulose cell walls, whereas fungal cells have chitin cell walls.” In micrographs, use several visible features rather than relying only on shape; a cell wall alone does not prove that a cell is plant rather than fungal.