Why do plant cells have bigger vacuoles than animal cells?
Answers
The plant have a bigger vacuole than animal cells because-
- In plant cells the larger central vacuole helps to store water and keeps the plant upright.
- When the vacuole is filled with water, it pushes the cytoplasm and nucleus towards the plasma membrane and maintains the turgidity of the cell.
- On the other hand, If the vacuole is empty then it will shrink and the plant loses its rigidity.
In animal cells, vacuoles are smaller in size but more in number because they do not require vacuoles for maintaining rigidity or pressure. Their main function is to enable the movement of substances in and out of the cell (endocytosis and exocytosis). In unicellular animal cell the vacuole having contraction-expansion property is known as contractile vacuole.
All plant and animal cells have vacuoles, which are membrane-bound cell organelles. They have encased organs that contain water as well as organic and inorganic materials. They act as cell vacuum cleaners and safeguard the cell from any injury.
Plant cells have a larger central vacuole than animal cells because the larger central vacuole serves two purposes in plant cells:
- One is to store water, and the other is to help the plant stay upright.
- When the vacuole fills with water, pressure is given to the cell, cytoplasmic surrounds, and cell wall, causing the plant to stand upright and hard. In contrast, if the vacuole is empty, it shrinks, and the plant loses its stiffness and begins to wilt.
- As animal cells do not require a vacuole for stiffness or pressure, vacuoles are smaller but more numerous. Their major job is to make it easier for chemicals to enter and exit the cell.
- Endocytosis (when vacuoles distribute materials across the outer membrane and transport them to where they are needed) and exocytosis both require them (vacuoles carry waste materials outside the cell through diffusion across the cell membrane).