Cells- What I learnt

 Today, I have learnt a lot of information about cells, both animal and plant. Firstly, I have learnt that animal cells differ from plant cells greatly, as they lack the presence of a few cell parts. A plant cell has the basic cell parts of - the sap vacuole, the cell wall, the nucleus, the cytoplasm, the cell membrane and the chloroplasts, while an animal cell has the basic cell parts of - many small vacuoles, the nucleus, the cytoplasm and the cell membrane. Other than these parts, plant and animal cells also contain other parts which are more complicated, such as the smooth and rough endoplasmic reticulum, the ribosomes, mitochondria, golgi body, etc. Below is an explanation of the various cell parts as mentioned above-
Sap Vacuole/Small Vacuoles- Stores water, nutrients, and other substances that are not immediately used. It takes up most of the space in a typical plant cell, however, it is small and there is the presence of a few of it in typical animal cells. It stores compounds and helps in plant and animal growth.
Cell Wall (Plant Cell)- Made up of cellulose, and it provides structural support for plant cells. It helps to maintain the cell's rigid shape and it also controls the maximum amount of water that is taken into the cell.
Nucleus- It contains chromosomes, structures made up of genetic information,and is essential for cell division. It regulates other cell activity.
Cytoplasm- It distributes food and oxygen to other parts of the cell, and it fills up and supports the remaining empty spaces left in the cell. It contains mostly dissolved nutrients.
Cell Membrane- It is a semi-permeable layer around the cell which allows waste materials to exit the cell, and allows only certain substances to enter the cell.
Chloroplasts (Plant Cell)- They are found in numbers in plant cells, and store chlorophyll, which is needed for photosynthesis. They are the food producers for the cell.

These are the various basic parts and their functions of plant and animal cells, and they each have their own significance. In cells, 'division of labour' means that each part of the cell has its own specific function, and this will make them specialize in their task and thus, efficiency is increased.