Plant Cell | Definition, Characteristics, & Facts - Britannica

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• Introduction & Top Questions
• The cell wall
• The chloroplasts
• The vacuoles

References & Edit History Related Topics Images & Videos Related Questions

• What is a plant cell?
• How are plant cells different than animal cells?
• What is a chloroplast?
• Where are chloroplasts found?
• Do chloroplasts have DNA?

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External Websites

• Khan Academy - Overview of animal and plant cells
• National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - What is The Plant Cell?
• Molecular Expressions - Plant Cell Structure
• University of Minnesota Libraries - The Science of Plants - Plant Cells and Tissues
• Biology LibreTexts - Plant Cell Structure
• Penn State University - What makes plant cell walls both strong and extensible?
• CiteseerX - Division plane orientation in plant cells (PDF)

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What is a plant cell?

A plant cell is the basic unit of all plants. Plant cells are eukaryotic, meaning each has a membrane-bound nucleus and organelles that perform specific functions. They are characterized by the presence of a rigid cell wall made of cellulose, chloroplasts for photosynthesis, and large vacuoles for storage and maintaining turgor pressure.

What are the three primary types of plant cells?

Most plant tissues are composed of parenchyma, collenchyma, and sclerenchyma cells, the three primary types of plant cells.

How are plant cells different than animal cells?

Plant cells differ from animal cells in several key ways. Plant cells have a rigid cell wall made of cellulose, which surrounds the cell membrane and provides structural support and protection. Additionally, plant cells contain chloroplasts, the organelles responsible for photosynthesis, which are absent in animal cells. Plant cells also typically have one or more large vacuoles that maintain cell turgor and store nutrients, while animal cells may have smaller vacuoles if present at all. These features enable plants to perform functions such as photosynthesis and maintain structural integrity.

plant cell, the basic unit of all plants. Plant cells, like animal cells, are eukaryotic, meaning they have a membrane-bound nucleus and organelles. There are three primary types of plant cells: parenchyma, collenchyma, and sclerenchyma. The following is a brief survey of some of the major characteristics of plant cells. For a more in-depth discussion of cells, see cell.

Plant Cell Organelles

• Chloroplast
• Endoplasmic reticulum
• Golgi apparatus
• Lysosome
• Mitochondrion
• Nucleus
• Peroxisome
• Ribosome
• Vacuole

The cell wall

Unlike animal cells, plant cells have a cell wall surrounding the cell membrane. Although often perceived as an inactive product serving mainly mechanical and structural purposes, the cell wall actually has a multitude of functions upon which plant life depends. Plant cell walls are composed of cellulose, which sets them apart from other organisms with cell walls, such as bacteria (peptidoglycan) and fungi (chitin). Algal cell walls are similar to those of plants, and many contain specific polysaccharides that are useful for taxonomy.

The chloroplasts

Plant cells can be distinguished from most other cells by the presence of chloroplasts, which are also found in certain algae. A chloroplast is a type of plastid (a saclike organelle with a double membrane) that serves as the site of photosynthesis, the process by which energy from the Sun is converted into chemical energy for growth. Chloroplasts contain the pigment chlorophyll to absorb light energy. In plants, these essential organelles occur in all green tissues, though they are concentrated particularly in the parenchyma cells of leaves.

More From Britannica cell: The plant cell wall

(Read Britannica’s list: 6 Cell Organelles)

Key People: Hugo von Mohl Karl Wilhelm von Nägeli Charles-François Brisseau de Mirbel (Show more) Related Topics: cell wall chloroplast apoplast sclerenchyma cell vessel cell (Show more) On the Web: National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - What is The Plant Cell? (Dec. 05, 2025) (Show more) See all related content

The vacuoles

Another important characteristic of many plant cells is the presence of one or more large vacuoles. Vacuoles are storage organelles, and those in plant cells enable them to attain a large size without accumulating the bulk that would make metabolism difficult. Within the vacuole is the cell sap, a water solution of salts and sugars kept at high concentration by the active transport of ions through the vacuole membrane. Proton pumps also maintain high concentrations of protons in the vacuole interior. These high concentrations cause the entry, via osmosis, of water into the vacuole, which in turn expands the vacuole and generates a hydrostatic pressure, called turgor, that presses the cell membrane against the cell wall. Turgor is the cause of rigidity in living plant tissue. In a mature plant cell, as much as 90 percent of cell volume may be taken up by a single vacuole; immature cells typically contain several smaller vacuoles.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Melissa Petruzzello.