Plant Cells

Cells are the building blocks of all living things. Your garden plants are no exception.

All animal and plant cells both contain the following:

• nucleus - control center that houses DNA
• vacuole - stores water, waste and ions
• mitochondria - organelle that uses biochemical processes for respiration and energy production
• cell membrane - semipermeable membrane that holds everything in
• cytoplasm - colorless material that supports everything in the cell 

Differences between plant and animal cells

Animal cells are generally rounded and irregular, while plant cells tend to be rectangular and more rigid. This rigidity comes from cellulose, pectin, hemicellulose, and occasionally lignin. This is also what holds your garden plants upright. When they are suffering water stress, they lose some of that rigidity and start to wilt.

Plant cells are also different from animal cells because they have cell walls and an organelle called a chloroplast. Animal cells do not have chloroplasts because they do not produce their own food. If we had chloroplasts, we would probably be green! Chloroplasts contain the chlorophyll used in photosynthesis.

Plant cell (LadyofHats) Public Domain

As minerals, such as calcium, move around in a plant cell, they can trigger all sorts of activities, ranging from building nodes to house nitrogen-fixing bacteria to producing the delicious fruits and vegetables we love.