Plant Cell Organelles

Plants are highly evolved eukaryotic organisms that comprise of membrane bound cell organelles. Even though plants and animals belong to eukaryotic groups, they differ in certain characteristic features. For example, a plant cell possesses a well-developed cell wall and large vacuoles, while an animal cell lacks such structural parts. In addition to these, a plant cell lacks centrioles and intermediate filaments, which are present in an animal cell. Read more on plant cell model.

A typical plant cell is made up of cytoplasm and organelles. Scientific studies have been done regarding plant cell organelles and their functions. Each of the organelles of a plant cell has specific functions, without which the cell cannot operate properly. Read more on structure and functions of cytoplasm.

List of Plant Cell Organelles
When it comes to plant cell organelles, they are more or less similar to animal cells, except that the latter lacks chloroplast organelles, that are responsible for photosynthesis. Following is a list of organelles found in plant cell:

Nucleus
Nucleus (plural nuclei) is a highly specialized cell organelle, which stores the genetic component (chromosomes) of the particular cell. It serves as the main administrative center of the cell, by coordinating the metabolic processes like cell growth, cell division and protein synthesis. Read more on cell nucleus.

Plastids
Plastids are collective terms for organelles that carry pigments. In a plant cell, chloroplasts are the most prominent forms of plastids, that contain the green chlorophyll pigment. Because of these chloroplast plastids, a plant cell has the ability to undergo photosynthesis in the presence of sunlight and synthesize its own food. Read more on the importance of photosynthesis.

Ribosomes
Ribosomes are plant cell organelles that comprise of proteins (40 percent) and ribonucleic acid or RNA (60 percent). They are important organelles responsible for the synthesis of proteins. Each ribosome consists of two parts, a larger subunit and a smaller subunit.

Mitochondria
Mitochondria (singular mitochondrion) are spherical to rod-shaped organelles present in the cytoplasm of the plant cell. They break down the complex carbohydrates and sugars into usable forms, for the plant. As mitochondria indirectly supply energy for the plant cell, they are also called as the powerhouse of the cell.

Golgi Body
Golgi body is also referred to as golgi complex or golgi apparatus. It plays a major role in transporting chemical substances in and out of the cell. After the endoplasmic reticulum synthesizes lipids and proteins, golgi body alters and prepares them for exporting outside the cell.

Endoplasmic Reticulum
Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is the connecting link between the nucleus and cytoplasm of the plant cell. Basically, it is a network of interconnected and convoluted sacs that are located in the cytoplasm. Based on the presence or absence of ribosomes, ER can be of smooth or rough types. The former type lacks ribosomes, while the latter is covered with ribosomes. Overall, endoplasmic reticulum serves as a manufacturing, storing and transporting structure for glycogen, proteins, steroids and other compounds.

Vacuoles
Vacuoles are the storage organelles that help in regulating turgor pressure of the plant cell. In a plant cell, there can be more than one vacuole. However, the centrally located vacuole is larger than others, which stores all sorts of chemical compounds. Vacuoles also assist in intracellular digestion of complex molecules and excretion of waste products.

Peroxisomes
Peroxisomes are cytoplasmic organelles of the plant cell, which contains certain oxidative enzymes. These enzymes are used for the metabolic breakdown of fatty acids into simple sugar forms. Another important function of peroxisomes is to help chloroplasts in undergoing photorespiration process. Read more on plant cell structure and parts.

Well! This was a brief information regarding plant cell organelles, their structure and specific functions. As we have seen, coordination of the functions of plant cell organelles is crucial for carrying out the physiological and biochemical functionalities of the plant.