Question: hi what is a plant cell?

Christie Waddington answered on 16 Jun 2016:

All living things are made of cells, but plant cells and animal cells are slightly different. Mainly because plants can use the light from the sun to make glucose by a process called photosynthesis, whereas we get glucose from eating and absorbing our food.

Both animal cells and plant cells have some things in common:
1. Cell membrane – the outside of the cell, that acts as a barrier and controls what goes into and out of the cell.
2. Cytoplasm – the jelly-like substance inside of the cell where a lot of chemical reactions take place.
3. Nucleus – contains the DNA of the cell.

But in plants cells, they have a few extra things!
1. Chloroplast – this is where photosynthesis happens i.e. light energy is used to make glucose.
2. Vacuole – a big fluid-filled sac inside the cell that keeps the cell firm.
3. Cell wall – another barrier as well as the cell membrane, and is also used to support the cell.

Not all plant cells are the same though, in the same way that not all animal cells are the same. There are specialised cells which are used for food transport (phloem), water transport (xylem) and leaf cells (epidermal cells) amongst others.