Plant Cell Structure and Parts

Plant cells like animal cells are eukaryotic cells i.e. they contain membrane bound nuclei and cell organelles. Plant cell differs from the animal cell in having three distinctive structures – cell wall, vacuoles and plastids. Plant cells lack centrioles and intermediate filaments, which are present in animal cells.

Parts of a Plant Cell Structure

Plant cells are classified into three viz. parenchyma cells, collenchyma cells and sclerenchyma cells based on the structure and function. Now let us see the different parts of a plant cell.

Cell Wall - Cell wall is the outermost rigid layer composed of cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin and sometimes lignin. The function of cell wall is protection, structural support and also it helps in filtering mechanism.

Cell Membrane - Cell membrane also called as plasma membrane is present inside the cell wall and surrounds the cytoplasm. It connects the intracellular components with the extracellular environment and helps in protection and transportation.

Plasmodesmata - Plasmodesmatas are small openings, which connect plant cells with each other enabling transport and communication between them.

Vacuole - Vacuoles are large membrane bound compartments, which stores compounds and provides storage, excretory and secretory functions. The membrane surrounding vacuole is called tonoplast.

Cytoplasm - Cytoplasm is filled up by cytosol, which is a gelatinous, semitransparent fluid.

Nucleus - Nucleus is a specialized organelle, which contains the plant’s hereditary material i.e. DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid). It also contains structures, which regulates the cell cycle, growth, protein synthesis and reproductive function.

Plastid - Plastids are organelles responsible for the photosynthetic activity and for the manufacture and storage of chemical compounds in plants. Chloroplast is an important form of plastid containing chlorophyll pigment, which helps in harvesting light energy and converting it to chemical energy.

Mitochondria - Mitochondria are oblong shaped organelles that are also known as "the powerhouse of the cell". They are responsible for breaking down the complex carbohydrate and sugar molecules to simpler forms that the plants can use.

Endoplasmic Reticulum - Endoplasmic reticulum is an organelle responsible for the manufacturing and storage of chemical compounds like glycogen and steroids, translation and transportation of protein. It is also connected to the nuclear membrane so as to make a channel between the cytoplasm and the nucleus.

Golgi Apparatus - Golgi apparatus also known as golgi complex is an organelle responsible for the processing and packaging of macromolecules such as proteins and fats, which are synthesized by the cell and prepares them for transportation.

Ribosome - Ribosomes are organelles, which are made up of 60% RNA (Ribonucleic Acid) and 40% protein and play an important role in protein translation.

Microbodies - Microbodies are single membrane bound organelles, globular in shape and contains degradative enzymes. Most common microbodies are peroxisomes.

Microtubules - Microtubules are straight, hollow, tubular cylinders, which make up the cytoskeleton. They are responsible for structural support and transport of the cell.

Microfilaments - Microfilaments are thin filaments of the cytoskeleton and are responsible for structural support of the cell.