PARTS OF PLANT CELL AND ITS FUNCTIONS
bursting or shrinking.
Plant Cell
Chloroplast
- are eukaryotic cells or cells with membrane
bound nucleus.
- are larger than animal cells and are mostly
similar in size and are rectangular or cube
shaped.
- are similar to animal cells in being eukaryotic
and they have similar cell organelles.
- the DNA in a plant cell is enclosed within the
nucleus.
- The most important distinctive structure of
plant cell is the presence of the cell wall
outside the cell membrane. It forms the outer
lining of the cell. The cell wall mostly
constitutes of cellulose and its main function is
providing support and rigidity.
Ribosomes
- Plants cells also contain many membrane
bound cellular structures. These organelles
carry out specific functions necessary for
survival and normal operation of the cells.
There are a wide range of operations like
producing hormones, enzymes, and all
metabolic activities of the cell.
Cell Membrane
- or the plasma membrane is the outer lining of
Endoplasmic Reticulum
the cell inside the cell wall.
- It is the outer boundary of the cell, it encloses
the cytoplasm and the organelles of the cells.
In plants cells it is inside the cell wall. The cell
membrane is semi permeable, allowing only
specific substances to pass through and
blocking others.
Cell Wall
- is the outermost rigid covering of the plant
cell. It is a salient feature of plant cell.
- is a rigid layer that surrounds the plant cells. It
is made up of cellulose. Cell wall is a
characteristic feature to cells of plants. Plant
cell walls are primarily made up of cellulose.
Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum
Plant cell wall consists of three layers: the
primary cell wall, secondary cell wall and the
middle lamella. It is located outside the cell
membrane whose main function is to provide
rigidity, strength, protection against
mechanical stress and infection. Cell wall is
made up of cellulose, pectins,glycoproteins,
hemicellulose and lignin.
Cytoplasm
- is the gel-like matrix inside the cell membrane
which constitutes all other cell organelles.
- It is a gel-like matrix inside enclosed by the cell
membrane. The cytoplasm supports cell
organelles and also prevents the cell from
- is a plastid with green pigment chlorophyll. It
traps light energy and converts it to chemical
energy by the process of photosynthesis.
- It is an elongated or disc-shaped organelle
containing chlorophyll. They have two
membranes and have structures that look like
stack of coins. They are flattened structures
which contain chemical chlorophyll. The
process of photosynthesis occurs in this region
of the plant cell. The chlorophyll is a green
pigment that absorbs energy from sunlight to
make food for the plants by converting light
energy into chemical energy.
- are structures that assemble proteins.
- are smallest and the most abundant cell
organelle. It comprises of RNA and protein.
Ribosomes are sites for protein synthesis.
They are found in all cells because protein are
necessary for the survival of the cell. The
ribososomes are known as the protein
factories of the cell.
- are membrane covered organelles that
transport materials.
- is a membrane bound compartment, which
look like flattened sacs lined side by side. It is
a large network of interconnecting membrane
tunnels. It is composed of both rough
endoplasmic reticulum and smooth
endoplasmic reticulum.
- They are responsible for protein translation,
and protein transport to be used in the cell
membrane. They also aid in sequestration of
calcium, and production and storage of
glycogen and other macromolecules.
- is associated with the production and
metabolism of fats and steroid hormones. It is
‘smooth’ because it is not studded with
ribosomes and is associated with smooth
slippery fats.
- is largely associated with lipid (fat)
manufacture and metabolism and steroid
production hormone production. It also has a
detoxification function.
- is more tubular than rough ER and forms an
interconnecting network sub-compartment of
ER. It is found fairly evenly distributed
throughout the cytoplasm.
 - It is not studded with ribosomes hence
‘smooth’ ER.
- Smooth ER is devoted almost exclusively to
the manufacture of lipids and in some cases to
the metabolism of them and associated
products. In liver cells for example smooth ER
enables glycogen that is stored as granules on
the external surface of smooth ER to be broken
down to glucose. Smooth ER is also involved in
the production of steroid hormones in the
adrenal cortex and endocrine glands
Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum
- is involved in some protein production,
protein folding, quality control and despatch.
It is called ‘rough’ because it is studded with
ribosomes.
- studded with millions of membrane bound
ribosomes, is involved with the production,
folding, quality control and despatch of some
proteins.
- These are called membrane bound ribosomes
and are firmly attached to the outer cytosolic
side of the ER About 13 million ribosomes are
present on the RER in the average liver cell.
Rough ER is found throughout the cell but the
density is higher near the nucleus and the
Golgi apparatus.
Golgi Bodies
- is the unit where proteins are sorted and
packed.
- The Golgi bodies look like the endoplasmic
reticulum and are situated near the nucleus.
They are found in almost all eukaryotic cells.
Their main function is to process and package
macromolecules synthesized from other parts
of the cell. The Golgi apparatus is referred to
as the cell's packaging center.
Vacuole
- are the temporary storage center of the cell.
- are known as cells storage center. Plant cells
have large membrane bound chamber called
vacuole. Its main function is storage. Vacuoles
are found in the cytoplasm of most plant cells.
They are membrane bound organelles, they
perform functions of secretion, excretion and
storage.
Nucleus
- is the control center of the cell. It is a
membrane bound structure which contains
the hereditary material of the cell - the DNA
- It is the control center of the cell. It is bound by
a double membrane known as the nuclear
envelope. It is a porous membrane, it allows
passage of substances and is a distinctive
characteristic of the eukaryotic cell. Most of
the genetic material is organized as multiple
long linear DNA molecules. The nucleus
directs all the activities of the cell and also help
in protein formation.
Nucleolus
- is one of the most important components of
the cell nucleus, and is far the most easily
recognized substructure in the nucleus of
eukaryotic cells. It can easily be determined by
phase contrast microscopy and with the use of
different dyes. The nucleolus, also known as
the ribosome factory, is composed of protein,
ribonucleic acid (RNA), and deoxyribonucleic
acid (DNA).
- The nucleolus function can be described thus:
a long ribosomal RNA (rRNA) precursor
molecule being transcribed from DNA, at the
nucleus, is being processed into three mature
RNAs that are packed together with certain
types of proteins in order to create small and
large ribosomal subunits. As soon as the
subunits have been assembled, these will then
be transported out of the nucleolus for the
cytoplasm to use in functions such as protein
synthesis, or translation.
Mitochondria
- carries out cellular respiration and provides
energy to the cells.
- are surrounded by two membranes. They are
described as the 'power plants' of the cell as
they convert glucose to energy molecules
(ATP). They possess their own hereditary
material which help in self duplication and
multiplication.
https://bscb.org/learning-resources/softcell-e-
learning/endoplasmic-reticulum-rough-and-smooth/
https://biology.tutorvista.com/animal-and-plant-
cells/plant-cell.html
https://biologydictionary.net/plant-cell/