Parts of a plant cell and what they do
| Part | What it does | In plant cells | In animal cells |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cell wall | A stiff outer layer made mostly of cellulose. It supports and protects the cell, gives it a fixed shape and stops it from bursting when it takes in water. | yes | no |
| Cell membrane | A thin, flexible layer of lipids and proteins around the cell. It controls what goes into and out of the cell. | yes (just inside the cell wall) | yes (the outer edge) |
| Cytoplasm | The jelly-like fluid that fills the cell and holds the organelles in place. Many of the cell’s chemical reactions happen here. | yes | yes |
| Nucleus | The control centre of the cell. It holds the cell’s DNA inside a double membrane called the nuclear envelope and controls growth and cell division. | yes | yes |
| Nucleolus | A dense spot inside the nucleus where the parts of ribosomes are made. | yes | yes |
| Central vacuole | A large sac of water and dissolved substances (cell sap) that can fill most of a plant cell. It stores water and pushes on the cell wall to keep the plant firm. | yes (one large one) | no (only small vacuoles) |
| Chloroplast | Green organelles where photosynthesis happens. Their chlorophyll captures light energy to make sugar from carbon dioxide and water, giving off oxygen. | yes | no |
| Mitochondrion | The powerhouse of the cell. Through cellular respiration it releases energy from food (glucose) and stores it as ATP that the cell can use. | yes | yes |
| Rough endoplasmic reticulum | Folded membranes covered in ribosomes, joined to the nucleus. It makes and folds proteins, which are then sent on to the Golgi apparatus. | yes | yes |
| Smooth endoplasmic reticulum | Tube-like membranes with no ribosomes. It makes lipids (fats), stores calcium and helps break down harmful substances. | yes | yes |
| Golgi apparatus | A stack of flat, curved sacs. It changes, sorts and packs proteins and lipids into small bubbles called vesicles and sends them where they are needed. | yes | yes |
| Ribosomes | Tiny structures made of RNA and protein that build proteins. Some float free in the cytoplasm and some sit on the rough ER. | yes | yes |
| Lysosome | Small sacs full of digestive enzymes. They break down worn-out cell parts, food particles and bacteria. | rarely (the vacuole does this job) | yes |
| Centrioles | A pair of short tubes made of microtubules, set at right angles near the nucleus. They help organise the fibres that pull chromosomes apart when the cell divides. | no (most plant cells) | yes |
| Vacuole | Small sacs that store water, food or waste. Animal cells have several small vacuoles; a plant cell has one large central vacuole. | one large central vacuole | yes (small) |
Plant cell vs animal cell
| Feature | Plant cell | Animal cell |
|---|---|---|
| Shape | Fixed, often like a box or brick | Round or irregular, can change shape |
| Cell wall | Yes, made of cellulose | No |
| Cell membrane | Yes, just inside the cell wall | Yes, it is the outer layer |
| Chloroplasts | Yes, for photosynthesis | No |
| Vacuole | One large central vacuole | Several small vacuoles, or none |
| Centrioles | No (in most plant cells) | Yes |
| Lysosomes | Rare | Yes |
| How it gets food | Makes its own sugar by photosynthesis | Takes in food from outside |
| Shared parts | Nucleus, cytoplasm, mitochondria, ER, Golgi, ribosomes | Nucleus, cytoplasm, mitochondria, ER, Golgi, ribosomes |
Turn the 3D animal cell model next to this one to see the differences in 3D.
Make it for your school project
A plant cell model is easy to recognise when it has a box shape, a thick cell wall, one big vacuole and plenty of green chloroplasts. A shoebox or a clear plastic box works well for the box shape.
- Pick a base for the cytoplasm: clear gelatin in a bowl, a foam ball cut in half, modelling clay, or a shoebox.
- Make each part in its own colour. The colours in the 3D model above are a good guide, and the parts table lists cheap materials for each one.
- Place the parts where they sit in the model. Turn the model and use the Explode slider to see what is behind what.
- Label every part with a toothpick flag or a numbered key, and add one line saying what it does. Print our labeled diagram as your key, or the blank one to fill in yourself.
Tip: Put the big vacuole in the middle and push the nucleus to one side, as in a real plant cell.
Materials for each part
- Cell wall: shoebox, cardboard or a thick green outline
- Cell membrane: plastic wrap, a balloon skin or a thin ribbon
- Cytoplasm: clear gelatin, clay or foam
- Nucleus: a ping-pong ball, plum or large bead
- Nucleolus: a small dark bead or marble inside the nucleus
- Central vacuole: a small water balloon or a bag of clear gel
- Chloroplast: green beans, lentils or green jelly beans
- Mitochondrion: beans, macaroni or red jelly sweets
- Rough ER: folded ribbon or wavy pipe cleaners dotted with seeds
- Smooth ER: smooth yarn or gummy worms
- Golgi apparatus: stacked curved strips of paper or a few stacked pasta shells
- Ribosomes: sprinkles, peppercorns or small seeds
Got a 3D printer? Download the STL above. It is a simplified display model, so paint or label the parts after printing.
Make your own 3D model with AI
Need a different model for a project, like a cell in your own style? Describe it with text or upload a picture and AI makes a 3D model. AI can get small details wrong, so check the parts against the table above.
Frequently Asked Questions
A plant cell has a cell wall, a cell membrane, cytoplasm, a nucleus with a nucleolus, a large central vacuole, chloroplasts, mitochondria, rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulum, a Golgi apparatus and ribosomes. The cell wall, chloroplasts and the large central vacuole are the parts that animal cells do not have.
Plant cells have a cell wall, chloroplasts and one large central vacuole, and they usually have a fixed, box-like shape. Animal cells have no cell wall or chloroplasts, have only small vacuoles, have centrioles and lysosomes, and are round or irregular.
Use a shoebox or clear box as the cell wall, fill it with clay or gelatin as the cytoplasm, and add each organelle in its own colour: a water balloon for the vacuole, a ball for the nucleus, green beans for chloroplasts and so on. Label every part and add a key that says what it does.
Yes. Download the STL file and open it in your slicer. It is a simplified display model, about 10 cm wide, with the cytoplasm printed as a solid block and the organelles on its open face. It is not to scale, and the tiny ribosomes are left out of the print file.
Yes. The GLB and STL files and the labeled or blank diagram are free and need no account. Everything is made in your browser. You can use them in a school project or presentation.
The front and part of the top are removed so you can see the organelles inside, like most classroom models. Tap the see-through cytoplasm to learn about it, or use the Explode slider to pull the parts apart.