The document summarizes the key similarities and differences between plant and animal cells. Plant cells are eukaryotic, rectangular or boxy in shape, and have a cell wall for support. They contain chloroplasts for photosynthesis. Animal cells are also eukaryotic but are round or oval in shape without a cell wall. They obtain food through other means besides photosynthesis and do not have chloroplasts. Both plant and animal cells share organelles like the nucleus, cytoplasm, mitochondria, and vacuoles of different sizes.

1. Plant Cells vs. Animal
Cells
Similarities and Differences

2. Think – Pair – Share
•Spend a minute
or two discussing
with the person
next to you how
a cell is similar to
a small city.

3. Cell Analogy
•Cells have a bunch
of stuff inside of
them that all have
a certain role!

4. Organelles
•Small parts within
the cell
•Each organelle has
a specific, and
different job to do
in order to keep
the cell alive

5. Remember…
•Prokaryote
•Simplest cells
•Single-celled
•Few, basic organelles
•DNA floating around,
uncontained
•Eukaryote
•Complex cells
•Single or multi-celled
•More organelles
•DNA contained within
the nucleus

8. Prokaryote or Eukaryote?
•Are animal and
plant cells
prokaryote cells or
eukaryote cells?
•How do you
know?

9. Eukaryote!
• Plant and animals cells are
both eukaryote cells as
because they are
multicellular and contain
many organelles within
each cell, including a
nucleus where the DNA is
stored.

10. How are they different?
•We know plants
and animals LOOK
different, so how
are their CELLS
different?

11. Shapes of the cells
•Plant cells are
rectangular or boxy
– regularly shaped
•Animal cells are
round or oval –
irregular in shape

12. Structure of the cells
•Only plant cells have a
CELL WALL.
•The CELL WALL
provides the plant cell
with SUPPORT.
•Animal cells DO NOT
have cell walls because
they have skeletons
that provide the
support.
I’m not found
in plants!

13. Some Parts of the Cells
•Chloroplast is ONLY
found in PLANT
cells.
•Chloroplast
produces food for
the plant cell.

14. Certain Organelles
•Chloroplast
produces food
by converting
sunlight into
sugar by the
process called
photosynthesis.

15. How are they the same?
•We know plants and
animals are both
eukaryote cells, so
they also have to
have some
similarities.

16. How are they the same?
•Plant and animal
cells are both
eukaryotic cells.

17. Both have Nucleuses
•The nucleus is the
“brain” or
information center of
the cell
•This is where the
DNA hangs out
•All eukaryotic cells
have nucleus
surrounded by
nuclear membranes

18. Both have Cell Membranes
•The cell membrane
controls what gets in
and out of the cell.
•(But remember, the
plant cell has a CELL
WALL outside of the
CELL MEMBRANE.

19. Both have Cytoplasm
•Cytoplasm is the
jelly-like substance
within the cell
where the
organelles are
positioned.

20. Both have Mitochondria
•Mitochondria
produce energy for
the cells
•The powerhouse of
the cell

21. Both have Vacuoles…but…
•Vacuoles store food and
water in both plant and
animal cells**
•Vacuoles in PLANTS are
much LARGER!!!
•Why???
•(**Sometimes there more
than one vacuoles or no
vacuoles in animal cells…)

22. To Summarize…
Plant Cells Animal Cells
Shape – boxy or rectangular,
regularly-shaped
Shape – circular or round,
irregularly-shaped

23. To Summarize…
Plant Cells Animal Cells
Shape – boxy or rectangular,
regularly-shaped
Shape – circular or round,
irregularly-shaped
Have a cell wall for support No cell wall (don’t need it
because it has a skeleton!)

24. To Summarize…
Plant Cells Animal Cells
Shape – boxy or rectangular,
regularly-shaped
Shape – circular or round,
irregularly-shaped
Have a cell wall for support No cell wall (don’t need it
because it has a skeleton!)
Have chloroplasts to produce
food through the process of
photosynthesis
No chloroplast – obtain food in
other ways beside
photosynthesis

25. To Summarize…
Plant Cells Animal Cells
Shape – boxy or rectangular,
regularly-shaped
Shape – circular or round,
irregularly-shaped
Have a cell wall for support No cell wall (don’t need it
because it has a skeleton!)
Have chloroplasts to produce
food through the process of
photosynthesis
No chloroplast – obtain food in
other ways beside
photosynthesis
(One) large vacuole Small (one or more) vacuoles
(sometimes no vacuole)

26. Animal Cell

27. Plant Cell

28. What is the one way you can100%
know that this is a plant cell?
a) It does not have a cell wall.
b) It has a cell membrane.
c) It has a large vacuole.
d) It is round.

29. What is the one way you can 100%
know that this is a animal cell?
a) It is boxy in shape.
b) It has a cell membrane but
no cell wall.
c) It has a vacuole.
d) It has chloroplast.

30. Thank you!