Plant or

Organelle Function
Animal
Mitochondria Plants and Energy transducer--Big ATP
animals producer
Chloroplast Plants Energy transducer--produces
sugar
Golgi Plants and Packages and modifies synthetic
animals products
Endoplasmic reticulum Plants and Nascent proteins are placed
animals inside for modification and
transport
Plasma membrane Plants and Boundary of the cell; exchange
animals with the environment
Nucleus Plants and Site of hereditary information;
animals control of cell activity
Ribosomes Plants and Site of protein synthesis; often
animals associated with ER
Central vacuole Primarily Storage; excretion; water
plants balance
Cilia/flagella Plants and Movement; production of
animals currents
Plasmadesmata Plants Cell to cell communication
Cell wall Plants Protection; fluid pressure;
support
Microfilaments, microtubules, Plants and Cytoskeleton elements; motor
intermediate filaments animals proteins

3 Fundamental Parts of a Cell

1. Cell Membrane (plasma membrane, plasmalemma )
- protectively surrounds the cytoplasm.
- plasma membrane in plants and prokaryotes is
usually covered by a cell wall
- serves to separate and protect a cell from its
surrounding environment
- regulates passage of materials in and out of the cell.
Semi-permeable (limited passage) & Permeable
(pass freely)
Active energy is recquired for bigger molecules to
pass through.
- made mostly from a double layer of lipids
hydrophobic molecules (heads) and hydrophilic
molecules (tails). Hence, the layer is called a
phospholipid bilayer.
- allows communication with other cells.

Cell wall - non-living composed of cellulose.

Plant cellulose (liquim & pectin) Fungi (chitin) Bacteria
(peptidoglycan)

Fluid mosaic model - because the heads of

phospholipids are hydrophilic in associate with the
liquid part of the cell, therefore substances can pass in
and out of the cell. It also has structural arrangement of
proteins and lipids.

Phospholipids - 2 fatty acids + 1 phosphate grp. (phosphorus &

oxygen)

Dietary lipids - 3 fatty acids + 1 glycerol

2. Cytoplasm - region where main activities take place

- cytoplasm is bounded by a cell or plasma membrane,
nucleoplasm is
bounded by a nuclear membrane. These two types are
protoplasm.

Cytosol - consist of thick semi-fluid aggregate chemical

compounds. Largely
water
- complex mixture of cytoskeleton filaments, dissolved
molecules, and
water that fills much of the volume of a cell
- reservoir for entry and exit of materials in cell.
 Cytomembrane - various structures and internal membrane

Mitochondria and Chloroplasts – eukaryotes only - the power

generators
Mitochondria are self-replicating organelles that occur in
various numbers, shapes, and sizes in the cytoplasm of
all eukaryotic cells. Mitochondria play a critical role in
generating energy in the eukaryotic cell. Mitochondria
generate the cell's energy by oxidative phosphorylation,
using oxygen to release energy stored in cellular
nutrients (typically pertaining to glucose) to
generate ATP. Mitochondria multiply by splitting in two.
Respiration occurs in the cell mitochondria.
Organelles that are modified chloroplasts are broadly
called plastids, and are involved in energy storage
through photosynthesis, which uses solar energy to
generate carbohydrates and oxygen from carbon
dioxide and water.[citation needed]
Mitochondria and chloroplasts each contain their own
genome, which is separate and distinct from the nuclear
genome of a cell. Both organelles contain this DNA in
circular plasmids, much like prokaryotic cells, strongly
supporting the evolutionary theory of endosymbiosis;
since these organelles contain their own genomes and
have other similarities to prokaryotes, they are thought
to have developed through a symbiotic relationship
after being engulfed by a primitive cell.
Endoplasmic reticulum – eukaryotes only
The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is the transport network
for molecules targeted for certain modifications and
specific destinations, as compared to molecules that will
float freely in the cytoplasm. The ER has two forms: the
rough ER, which has ribosomes on its surface and
secretes proteins into the cytoplasm, and the smooth
ER, which lacks them. Smooth ER plays a role in calcium
 sequestration and release.
Golgi apparatus – eukaryotes only
The primary function of the Golgi apparatus is to
process and package the macromoleculessuch
as proteins and lipids that are synthesized by the cell. It
is particularly important in the processing of proteins
for secretion. The Golgi apparatus forms a part of
the endomembrane system of eukaryotic
cells. Vesicles that enter the Golgi apparatus are
processed in a cis to trans direction, meaning they
coalesce on the cis side of the apparatus and after
processing pinch off on the opposite (trans) side to form
a new vesicle in the animal cell.

Ribosomes
The ribosome is a large complex
of RNA and protein molecules. They each consist of two
subunits, and act as an assembly line where RNA from
the nucleus is used to synthesise proteins from amino
acids. Ribosomes can be found either floating freely or
bound to a membrane (the rough endoplasmatic
reticulum in eukaryotes, or the cell membrane in
prokaryotes).[9]
Lysosomes and Peroxisomes – eukaryotes only
Lysosomes contain digestive enzymes (acid hydrolases).
They digest excess or worn-out organelles, food
particles, and
engulfedviruses or bacteria. Peroxisomes have enzymes
that rid the cell of toxic peroxides. The cell could not
house these destructive enzymes if they were not
contained in a membrane-bound system. These
organelles are often called a "suicide bag" because of
their ability to detonate and destroy the cell.[citation needed]
Centrosome – the cytoskeleton organiser
The centrosome produces the microtubules of a cell – a
key component of the cytoskeleton. It directs the
transport through the ER and the Golgi apparatus.
Centrosomes are composed of two centrioles, which
separate during cell division and help in the formation of
themitotic spindle. A single centrosome is present in
the animal cells. They are also found in some fungi and
 algae cells.[citation needed]
Vacuoles
Vacuoles store food and waste. Some vacuoles store
extra water. They are often described as liquid filled
space and are surrounded by a membrane. Some cells,
most notably Amoeba, have contractile vacuoles, which
can pump water out of the cell if there is too much
water. The vacuoles of eukaryotic cells are usually
larger in those of plants than animals.

3. Nucleus
cell nucleus is the most conspicuous organelle found in
a eukaryotic cell. It houses the cell's chromosomes, and is
the place where almost all DNA replication
and RNA synthesis (transcription) occur. The nucleus is
spherical and separated from the cytoplasm by a double
membrane called the nuclear envelope. The nuclear
envelope isolates and protects a cell's DNA from various
molecules that could accidentally damage its structure or
interfere with its processing. During
processing, DNA is transcribed, or copied into a special RNA,
called messenger RNA (mRNA). This mRNA is then
transported out of the nucleus, where it is translated into a
specific protein molecule. The nucleolus is a specialized
region within the nucleus where ribosome subunits are
assembled. In prokaryotes, DNA processing takes place in
the cytoplasm.

Nucleolus - composed of RNA.

- site where subunits of ribosomes are found
Messenger RNA (mRNA) carries information about a protein
sequence to the ribosomes, the protein synthesis factories in
the cell. It is coded so that every three nucleotides (a codon)
correspond to one amino acid. In eukaryotic cells, once
precursor mRNA (pre-mRNA) has been transcribed from
DNA, it is processed to mature mRNA. This removes
its introns—non-coding sections of the pre-mRNA. The mRNA
is then exported from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, where it
is bound to ribosomes and translated into its corresponding
protein form with the help of tRNA. In prokaryotic cells,
which do not have nucleus and cytoplasm compartments,
mRNA can bind to ribosomes while it is being transcribed
from DNA. After a certain amount of time the message
degrades into its component nucleotides with the assistance
of ribonucleases.
Transfer RNA (tRNA) is a small RNA chain of about
80 nucleotides that transfers a specific amino acid to a
growing polypeptide chain at the ribosomal site of protein
synthesis during translation. It has sites for amino acid
attachment and an anticodon region for codon recognition
that binds to a specific sequence on the messenger RNA
chain through hydrogen bonding.
Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) is the catalytic component of the
ribosomes. Eukaryotic ribosomes contain four different rRNA
molecules: 18S, 5.8S, 28S and 5S rRNA. Three of the rRNA
molecules are synthesized in the nucleolus, and one is
synthesized elsewhere. In the cytoplasm, ribosomal RNA and
protein combine to form a nucleoprotein called a ribosome.
The ribosome binds mRNA and carries out protein synthesis.