Why do plant and animal cells have different parts?
Your cells are tiny, but they are not just empty bags of jelly. What you can do with a cell depends on the equipment inside it, and that is why plant and animal cells are not built in exactly the same way.
Inside your cell, each small structure has its own job. When a structure inside your cell carries out a particular task, you call it an organelle.
When you talk about an organelle, you mean one of the cell's internal parts that handles a specific job needed to keep your cell alive.
Both plant and animal cells share several core parts, including the cell membrane, cytoplasm, ribosomes, mitochondria, and usually a nucleus. Plant cells also have a cell wall, chloroplasts, and a large vacuole, which is why they often look more box-shaped than animal cells.
Watch out: if you are comparing plant and animal cells, do not just name parts. Link each extra plant structure to what it lets the cell do, such as support or photosynthesis.
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