Explain how plant cells and animal cells are different.

Explain how plant cells and animal cells are different.

• A. Plant cells have a nucleus and chloroplast just like animals.
• B. Animal cells have a cell wall and chloroplasts.
• C. Plant cells lack mitochondria.
• D. Plant cells have a cell wall and chloroplasts.

Answer: (D)

Plants and animals are built from cells that share many parts, but plant and animal cells differ in certain structures that fit how they make food and stay rigid. The main difference is that plant cells have a cell wall and chloroplasts. The cell wall provides support and structure, helping plants stand upright and not burst when water moves in. Chloroplasts contain chlorophyll and carry out photosynthesis, turning sunlight into chemical energy for the plant. Animal cells don’t have cell walls or chloroplasts; they stay flexible and must obtain energy by consuming other organisms or materials. Both kinds of cells have a nucleus and mitochondria, and plants often have a large central vacuole, but those features don’t change the fact that plant cells uniquely have both a cell wall and chloroplasts. The other options mix up which cells have these structures, which is why they aren’t correct.

Plants and animals are built from cells that share many parts, but plant and animal cells differ in certain structures that fit how they make food and stay rigid. The main difference is that plant cells have a cell wall and chloroplasts. The cell wall provides support and structure, helping plants stand upright and not burst when water moves in. Chloroplasts contain chlorophyll and carry out photosynthesis, turning sunlight into chemical energy for the plant. Animal cells don’t have cell walls or chloroplasts; they stay flexible and must obtain energy by consuming other organisms or materials. Both kinds of cells have a nucleus and mitochondria, and plants often have a large central vacuole, but those features don’t change the fact that plant cells uniquely have both a cell wall and chloroplasts. The other options mix up which cells have these structures, which is why they aren’t correct.