Similarities and Differences between the Animal and Plant Cell - Essay Example

Peiyao Wen William Boozang ENG 1004 Comparison and Contrast Essay In our day to day situations we encounter situations where we are supposed to compare things and contrast them. This helps to show the similarities that they share and also the differences that exist between them. This is a good way that is used to learn and understand whatever you are learning. A good comparison and contrast essay should be able to capture all the important points to leave the reader or audience satisfied. The essay should also have a good flow of points and ideas as they unfold to ensure that whatever the main idea is, it is covered in way that will leave the reader in no confusion. Definition of key terms is also an important thing to note in writing such an essay. The essay should always end with a conclusion that sums up the main ideas captured within the essay. A conclusion serves to show the reader that the writer had planned the essay well and it should show an accomplishment of the ideas introduced in the introduction (Teresa et. al. n.d.). Before embarking in writing a comparison/contrast essay, the first step is to lay your points well. Let the strong ideas proceed the weaker ones so as to form a strong argument when deliberating on the final copy. Producing a draft copy is important to check how the ideas are flowing and to make any necessary additions or deductions. Grammatical errors are corrected at this point to ensure that the final copy is free of errors such as tautology and wordiness. This is the best way to write top quality essays as explained in this course. The Animal and Plant Cell Similarities and Differences Introduction The cell is the basic unit of any living organism. There different categories of living organisms which range from having prokaryotic cells as seen in bacteria to having eukaryotic cells such as in higher organisms such as plants and animals. The higher organisms possess cells which are highly differentiated to perform specific functions and to form specific organs which further form organ systems and at last form the whole organism. The cell is made up of different organelles which perform the necessary metabolic processes that ensure the organism is performing normally. An alteration of the normal metabolism is characterized as the pathogenesis of a certain disease or disorder. This work will address the similarities and differences between plant cells and animal cells as both cells have been differentiated differently and adapted to perform specific functions that enhance their survival. Similarities There are a number of similarities that are possessed by the two cells and which perform closely related functions in either cells. First both cells possess a cell membrane. A cell membrane is the covering that protects the inner organelles of the cell from damage. The cell membrane in both cells have certain properties that make it perform its functions in the best way. For instance, it’s semipermeable to allow partial passage of particles or what is called selective permeability. This is important in preventing particles to get into the cell and the ones that are supposed to remain from leaving. This helps in maintaining the osmotic pressure of the cell and ensuring that it is turgid as in guard cells which control the gaseous exchange in plants. Both cells contain a mitochondria. The mitochondria is the power organelle that is responsible for generating the energy that is used in the cell and also in the activities that the organism engages in. It has enzymes (protein catalysts) which are able to convert simple food materials such as carbohydrates, proteins and lipids into high energy molecules such as the Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP), Guanine Triphosphate (GTP) and Cytosine Triphosphate (CTP). This high energy molecules are generated in the various cycles e.g. the kreb’s cycle which take the food materials as the raw materials. This is a very important organelle as without it the organism would not be able to generate energy and hence its activity would be totally impaired. The mitochondria is also important in genetic reconstruction and paternal and maternal tests. Both cells contain ribosomes. Ribosomes are important cell organelles found on the rough endoplasmic reticulum and which are responsible for protein formation. Amino Acids which are the building blocks for proteins are suspended in the cell sap and so the ribosomes through the use of transfer Ribonucleic Acid (tRNA) the amino acids are brought together and joined to form the protein chain and later the whole organism. Animals and plants are made up of long protein and polysaccharide chains and the ribosomes are the ones that are responsible for the joining of the proteins from the amino acids. It is important to note that the ribosomes gets the information they use from the DNA contained in the cell’s nucleus and then decode the information to produce the proteins needed. Both cells contain prominent nucleus. The nucleus is the coordinating organelle that controls all the other activities that take place in the cell. Most importantly, the nucleus contain the genetic material stored in the chromosomes in form of genes that dictate the characteristics of the organism. The genetic material (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) is coded in double helix chains that are very long and contain all the traits that are possessed by an organism. The DNA is coded to respective RNA molecules which travel from inside the nucleus and into the cell cytoplasm where the decoding is done by the ribosomes. On top of that, the nucleus is important in conducting activities such as cell division which is responsible for growth which is one of the paramount characteristics of living things. Growth involves the division of the cell multiply to increase the number and yield the final organism. This process is initiated by the nucleus by the triggering by growth hormones produced at various intervals during the organisms’ growth period. Other similarities between the two include the possession of flagella though it is not present in all cells. Presence of microtubules. Presence of golgi apparatus which are important in packaging and transport of glycoproteins and conjugated substances and presence of the endoplasmic reticulum responsible for lipid and protein synthesis. Differences between the Plant and Animal Cell Through adaptation to the different conditions that the cells are subjected to, a number of differences are observed between the two cells. These differences are generated in cell speciation. First a plant cell contain a cell wall on top of the cell membrane. The cell wall which is a cellulose cover protects the cell further from damage and destruction. The cell wall also gives the plant cell a definite shape unlike the animal cell which lacks a definite shape. During cell processes, the cell wall prevents the cell to burst if it is placed in a hypotonic solution (highly concentrated in solvent molecules). The animal cell on the other hand will burst if placed in such a solution due the missing cell wall. Another notable difference is the presence of chloroplast in plant cells and their absence in animal cells. Chloroplasts contain the photosynthetic molecules i.e. chlorophyll responsible for synthesis of simple carbohydrates from simple raw materials such as carbon IV oxide, water and light. Another difference noted between the two cells is the presence of lysosomes in animal cells and their absence in plant cells. Lysosomes are the destructive organelles that are responsible for breaking down worn out, old and dead cell organelles. They are not present in plant cells but they are evident in animal cells. In cell division, the process of chromosome transfer is initiated by centrioles which are positioned at opposite sides of the cell in animal cells. In plant cells, centrioles are not present and the process of cell division is by the formation of a gap between the two daughter cells (Diffen, n.d). Conclusion Though the plant and animal cells possess a number of similarities they also have a number of differences as have been observed in this essay. Some of the similarities addressed are seen in the cell membrane, mitochondria, ribosomes and in the nucleus. The functions of the various organelles have been given. The differences in the two cells are the ones that give the distinctive features seen in the organisms. The essay has utilized the skills learnt in writing of comparison and similarity essays to address the topic from the two dimensions. The points have been keenly researched to give the reader the important details without offering excess information and making the work boring. Work Cited Diffen. Plant Cell vs. Animal Cell. Available at. Teresa, et. al.. How to Write a Compare and Contrast Essay. N.d. Available at. Read More