It has a nucleus, and a stiff cell wall which gives the cell its box-like shape. The numerous green chloroplasts allow the cell to make its own food (by photosynthesis). The central vacuole takes up most of the volume of the cell. Like animal cells, the cytoplasm of this plant cell is bordered by a cell membrane.
Q. Is a vacuole a cell?
A vacuole is a membrane-bound cell organelle. In animal cells, vacuoles are generally small and help sequester waste products. In plant cells, vacuoles help maintain water balance.
Q. Is a vacuole a plant animal or both?
Both plant and animal cells have vacuoles. A plant cell contains a large, singular vacuole that is used for storage and maintaining the shape of the cell. In contrast, animal cells have many, smaller vacuoles.
Q. Why is the central vacuole important?
Aside from storage, the main role of the central vacuole is to maintain turgor pressure against the cell wall. Proteins found in the tonoplast (aquaporins) control the flow of water into and out of the vacuole through active transport, pumping potassium (K+) ions into and out of the vacuolar interior.
Q. What are the two roles of central vacuole in plant cells?
What are the two roles of the central vacuole in plant cells? Storage of materials and support of the cell. Contractile vacuoles pump excess water out of the cell, while other types of vacuoles hold materials inside of cells.
Q. Can Plasmolysis occur in animal cells?
Most animal cells consist of only a phospholipid bilayer (plasma membrane) and not a cell wall, therefore shrinking up under such conditions. Plasmolysis only occurs in extreme conditions and rarely occurs in nature.
Q. Why does Plasmolysis occur in plant cell?
Plasmolysis is the shrinking of the cytoplasm of a plant cell in response to diffusion of water out of the cell and into a high salt concentration solution. During plasmolysis, the cell membrane pulls away from the cell wall. This does not happen in low salt concentration because of the rigid cell wall.
