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Cell Structure
| A Comparison of Cells Commonly Seen in Lab Bacteria: prokaryotic. Very small. No nucleus, no chloroplasts, no mitochondria. Do have a cell wall. Plant cells: eukaryotic. Relatively large. Have a nucleus, have mitochondria, sometimes have chloroplasts. Have a large central vacuole and a cell wall.
Animal cells:
eukaryotic. Relatively large. Have a nucleus and mitochondria. Never have chloroplasts. Lack a cell wall, and have no central vacuole.
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This Elodea leaf cell exemplifies a typical plant cell. It has a nucleus, and a stiff cell wall which gives the cell its box-like shape. The numerous green chloroplasts allow the cell to make its own food (by photosynthesis).
The central vacuole takes up most of the volume of the cell. It is transparent, but you can see where it's pressing the chloroplasts up against the cell wall, especially at the ends of the cell.
Like animal cells, the cytoplasm of
this plant cell is bordered by a cell membrane. The membrane is so thin and transparent that you can't see it, but it is pressed against the inside of the cell wall.
This cell was alive and at 1000x magnification when it was photographed.
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| This human cheek cell is a good example of a typical animal cell. It has a prominent nucleus and a flexible cell membrane which gives the cell its irregular, soft-looking shape.
Like most eukaryotic cells, this cell is very large compared to prokaryotic cells. For scale, notice the pair of dark blue bacteria cells sticking to the right edge of the cheek cell. The bacteria are only a fraction of the size of the nucleus, but their tiny size is typical for bacteria.
This cell was stained blue and was magnified to 1000x its normal size when it was photographed.
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What plant cells can be seen under a light microscope?
Organelles that can be seen and observed under a light microscope include the nucleus, cytoplasm, cell membrane, chloroplasts, and cell wall. The chloroplasts and cell walls are only present in plant cells.
How are plant cells observed in microscope?
Place the glass slide onto the stage. Be careful pushing it under the clips that the cover slide doesn't move or crack. Turn the coarse focus knob slowly until you are able to see the cells. Turn the fine focus knob slowly until the cells are in focus and you can see them clearly.
Why can plant cells only be seen under a microscope?
They are green in color under a microscope because they contain chlorophyll, a naturally green pigment. One of the quickest ways to differentiate between a plant and animal cell is to look at the unstained cell under the microscope. If green organelles are present, it is a plant cell.
What part of the cell which is only seen in plant cells?
Plant cells have a cell wall, chloroplasts and other specialized plastids, and a large central vacuole, which are not found within animal cells. The cell wall is a rigid covering that protects the cell, provides structural support, and gives shape to the cell.
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