Plant Vacuoles vs. Animal Vacuoles
Key Differences
Comparison Chart
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Size and Number
Occurrence
Permanent/Temporary Structures
Distribution Within the Cell
Storing Elements
Importance
Space
Plant Vacuoles vs. Animal Vacuoles
The plant vacuoles in plant cells referred to as a cavity that is present inside the cytoplasm and is covered by a single unit membrane and consists of cell sap. On the other hand, the animal vacuoles in animal cells are referred to as a cavity present within the cytoplasm, which usually consists of food, fluid, or metabolic wastes.
The plant vacuoles in plant cells are considered permanent structures; on the contrary, the animal vacuoles in animal cells may be considered as temporary structures.
The position of the plant vacuoles in plant cells is usually at the center, whereas the animal vacuoles can be distributed all over the animal cell. The main purpose of plant vacuole is to store water; on the flip side, the main function of the animal vacuole in animal cells is to store ions, nutrients, waste products, and mainly water.
In the plant cells, the plant vacuoles are important in maintaining the turgor pressure. On the other hand, in animal cells, animal vacuoles are widely important in the process of exocytosis and endocytosis. The mass of the plant vacuole is usually large, and it may contain almost 90% space of the plant cell; on the other hand, the animal vacuole is considered smaller as compared to the plant vacuole.
What are Plant Vacuoles?
The plant vacuoles considered as a cavity that are usually present within the cytoplasm of the plant cells, covered by a single membrane, and consist of cell sap in plant cells. The single membrane which surrounds the plant vacuoles is known as tonoplast.
The cell sap of the plant vacuole contains water and various other materials such as salts, enzymes, sugars and carbohydrates, lipids, and ions. The plant vacuoles mainly store water and include as much as 90% of the total volume of the cytoplasm of the cell in mature plants. The vacuoles of plants may also consist of sucrose, amino acids, proteins, mineral salts, and many other waste materials.
The plant vacuoles consist of water-soluble pigments such as anthocyanin. The important role of the plant vacuole is to preserve the turgor pressure of the plant cell because the plasma membrane of the cell pressed beside the cell wall through the turgor pressure.
The plant cells get the water inside their vacuoles through the process of osmosis. The plant vacuole also helps in maintaining the shape of the cell during severe dehydration. The vacuoles are vital for the conservation of the osmotic concentration of the cell.
The digestive enzymes present in plant vacuoles mainly serve as lysosomes. One of the most important roles of the plant vacuoles is the detoxification of heavy metals that are present inside the cell.
What are Animal Vacuoles?
Animal vacuoles considered as the cavity which is normally present within the cytoplasm, mainly consist of food, fluid, and various other metabolic wastes. The animal cells mostly consist of several vacuoles in a smaller size.
The food vacuoles in the animal cells are those who ingested the food materials. Many unicellular organisms mainly use their vacuoles as an excretory organelle.
The most important function of animal vacuoles includes the endocytosis and exocytosis. Some animal vacuoles are produced through endocytosis, while some others are formed through Golgi bodies, which are mainly used to excrete waste substances through the process of exocytosis.
The exocytosis is the process by which vacuoles transfer material out of the cell. Endocytosis is considered the inverse of the exocytosis in which vacuoles aids in bringing the matter inside the animal cells.
The digestive enzymes which are present in vacuoles mainly help in the digestion of the ingested food. Some pathogenic cells, for example, bacteria, are usually destroyed or killed by fusing with lysosomes of the animal cells.
