Do Plant Cells Have A Nucleus? Biology Facts That Make You Wonder!

Animal and plant cells are the fundamental building blocks of life.

Two types of cells namely plant and animal cells have their differences, though they both have a nucleus.

Living things are those which can move, grow, breath or respire, reproduce, respond to stimuli, and has an organized structure. The basic characteristics of living things are the same, they need food, water, light, and oxygen.

Living organisms are divided into three major groups; archaea, eubacteria, and eukaryotes. Archaea are unicellular organisms, made up of prokaryotic cells which do not have a properly structured nucleus. Eubacteria are more advanced versions of archaea. The eukaryotes include organisms whose cells contain a clearly designated nucleus known as Eukaryotes. Prokaryotic cells are generally smaller than eukaryotic cells.

Plant Cell Organelles

A plant cell consists of many organelles. Each organelle performs specific jobs due to which a cell remains alive. Some unique organelle structures in plant cells are not present in other eukaryotes.

All living organisms are made up of a structured unit called a cell. A cell is a microscopic structure and is the basic biological unit of life.

A few organisms consist of only a single cell and some are made of many cells. There are two categories of cells, prokaryotic cells, and eukaryotic cells. Plant cells are eukaryotic cells and are generally bigger in size than animal cells.

The organelles of plant cells are the cell wall, plasma membrane, cytoplasm, chloroplasts, nucleus, endoplasmic reticulum, vacuoles, mitochondria, Golgi complex, plasmodesmata, and ribosomes.

The cell wall is a hard and rigid outer cover of the cell, giving strength, protection, and shape to the cell. It is made up of cellulose and is permeable.

The cell wall protects a cell from outside hazards. Cell walls are absent in animal cells. Plasma membrane or cell membrane is the thin, semi-permeable membrane covering the cell fluid called cytoplasm.

The plasma membrane protects the cell from inside and does not allow toxic substances to enter into the cell. The enzymes present in the cytoplasm conducts all metabolic activities inside the cell. Chloroplasts present in plant cells is where photosynthesis takes place, it contains green-colored chlorophyll.

Due to chlorophyll, plants are green in color. Chloroplasts are found in plant cells only. Plants are known as autotrophs as they can make their own food with help of photosynthesis using sunlight, water, carbon dioxide, and release oxygen.

The shape of the plant cell nucleus is almost spherical. All plant cells have a nucleus that is bounded by a membrane and stores DNA, which is the only source of the genetic information of the cell. The structure of DNA is complex. The nucleus manages all the activities of the cell.

Unlike prokaryotic cells, in plant cells, the nucleus is enveloped by a membrane. Ribosomes are responsible for protein synthesis. They are composed of RNA and proteins. They can be found either attached to the rough ER or free in the cytoplasm.

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a cell organelle consisting of a network of membranes in the cytoplasm responsible for proteins synthesis, lipid metabolism, and calcium storage. The outer surface of the endoplasmic reticulum can be rough or smooth. The rough endoplasmic reticulum is attached with ribosomes on its membrane, which stores proteins. 

Vacuoles are organelles lined with a membrane containing fluid that helps maintain water balance, ingestion, digestion, provide support to the plant cells. On maturity, a plant cell contains one large central vacuole filled with liquid. In animal cells, waste products are stored inside the vacuoles and they are generally smaller in size.

Mitochondria are called the powerhouse of the cell as they generate energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) using glucose and oxygen. They are respiration for plants.

In the cell flattened membrane-enclosed sacs are found called Golgi apparatus or Golgi complex. Proteins and lipid (fat) molecules used by cells are prepared and stored by the Golgi complex. Its main function is to prepare and store the proteins and lipid molecules that the cells use.

The cytoskeleton is the fiber network all over the cytoplasm. It is responsible for maintaining the shape of plant cells, also gives strength to cells. The pores or channels found between plant cell walls are known as plasmodesmata. They allow the passage of specific molecules from one cell to another and pass communication signals to surrounding living cells.

Plant and animal cells are basically similar in structure but cell walls, central vacuole, chloroplasts, and plasmodesmata are not found in animal cells.

The Location Of The Nucleus In Plant Cells

The plant cell nucleus is located where the metabolic activity is maximum. In the beginning, it is found in the center of the cell.  As the cell grows older the nucleus is pushed to the periphery due to the development of a large central vacuole.

The nucleus is the largest organelle found in both plant and animal cells. In a plant cell, the nucleus is oval or elliptical in shape. Generally, animal and plant cells have a single nucleus. But few fungi and algae have more than one nucleus.

The Function and Importance Of The Nucleus

The main function of the nucleus is to store the genetic material of cells in DNA. Other important functions are the production of ribosomes and regulating the functions of the cell.

The nucleus in plant and animal cells has much importance as it controls the genetic information of the cell, the synthesis of enzyme and protein, cell division, growth and regulates the transcription of the mRNA to protein.

Nucleus Organelles

Inside the nucleus, the membrane-bound organelles are present which are complex in nature.

A plant cell nucleus contains five parts: nuclear envelope or nuclear membrane, nucleoplasm, nucleolus, nuclear matrix, and chromosome.

The nucleus envelope is the double membrane that covers the nucleus from the outside and separates it from the other cell organelles. It gives support and shape to the nucleus. On the wall of the nuclear envelope, many tiny pores are called nuclear pores. These pores control the entry and exit of the substances.

The nucleus is filled up with a transparent, semi-fluid, and colloidal substance known as nucleoplasm or nuclear sap. The nuclear matrix is a fiber network, which gives mechanical support to the nuclear envelope. The chromosomes are found in both animal and plant cells, consisting of DNA and protein.

The genetic materials or chromosomes are carried by DNA. The chromatin is a long structure made up of resting chromosomes. The nucleolus is a dense substance matter that carries RNA and proteins.

Though the basic types of cell structures of animals and plants are the same, they are different in some points.

The cell wall found in plants is made up of cell membrane and cellulose, but animal cells are surrounded by a membrane called the cell membrane. Plants can make their food through photosynthesis as plant cells contain chlorophyll, on the other hand, animal cells cannot prepare their food and do not contain any chlorophyll and stomata.

Plant cells are normally regular in shapes and larger in size, while animal cells are generally round, irregular in shape, and smaller in size. A Plant cell's nucleus is presented on one side and in animal cells, it is presented in the middle of the cell.

Central vacuole in plant cells occupies the maximum cell volume and in animal cells, vacuoles are smaller.

In animal cells, Cilia, microtubule structures, are found which helps in cellular motion. The mitochondria are fewer in plant cells whereas in animal cells many mitochondria are present.