What are parts found only in plant cells?

Cell wall. A tough outer layer made of cellulose, outside the cell membrane. It is fully permeable and gives the cell a fixed shape and support. (Animal cells have no cell wall.)

What is cell surface membrane?

A thin layer around the cell that controls what enters and leaves. It is partially permeable, meaning it lets some substances through but not others.

A jelly-like material that fills the cell. Most of the chemical reactions of the cell happen here, and it holds the organelles in place.

A large rounded structure that contains the genetic material (DNA). It controls all the activities of the cell and controls cell division.

What is mitochondria?

Small sausage-shaped organelles where aerobic respiration takes place, releasing energy for the cell. Cells that need a lot of energy, such as muscle cells, have many mitochondria.

A tough outer layer made of cellulose, outside the cell membrane. It is fully permeable and gives the cell a fixed shape and support. (Animal cells have no cell wall.)

What are chloroplasts?

Green organelles that contain the pigment chlorophyll. They are the site of photosynthesis, the process that makes food using light energy. They are found in the green parts of a plant.

What is large central vacuole?

A large permanent space filled with cell sap (a watery solution of sugars and salts). When full, it pushes outward and keeps the cell firm, which helps support the plant. (Animal cells may have small, temporary vacuoles only.)

SingaporeBiologySyllabus dot point

What are the parts of a typical cell, and what does each part do?

Identify the main organelles of plant and animal cells and state the function of each

A focused answer to the O-Level Biology outcome on cell structure. The main organelles of plant and animal cells, the job each one does, and how to label them on a diagram for full marks.

Generated by Claude Opus 4.88 min answerUpdated 2026-06-06

Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed

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What this dot point is asking

SEAB wants you to recognise the main parts (organelles) of a typical plant cell and a typical animal cell and to state clearly what each part does. You should be able to label these parts on a diagram and explain how the structure of a part suits its job. This is the foundation for every later topic, because cells are the building blocks of all living things.

The answer

Parts found in both plant and animal cells

Cell surface membrane (cell membrane): A thin layer around the cell that controls what enters and leaves. It is partially permeable, meaning it lets some substances through but not others.
Cytoplasm: A jelly-like material that fills the cell. Most of the chemical reactions of the cell happen here, and it holds the organelles in place.
Nucleus: A large rounded structure that contains the genetic material (DNA). It controls all the activities of the cell and controls cell division.
Mitochondria: Small sausage-shaped organelles where aerobic respiration takes place, releasing energy for the cell. Cells that need a lot of energy, such as muscle cells, have many mitochondria.

Parts found only in plant cells

Cell wall: A tough outer layer made of cellulose, outside the cell membrane. It is fully permeable and gives the cell a fixed shape and support. (Animal cells have no cell wall.)
Chloroplasts: Green organelles that contain the pigment chlorophyll. They are the site of photosynthesis, the process that makes food using light energy. They are found in the green parts of a plant.
Large central vacuole: A large permanent space filled with cell sap (a watery solution of sugars and salts). When full, it pushes outward and keeps the cell firm, which helps support the plant. (Animal cells may have small, temporary vacuoles only.)

Telling plant and animal cells apart

A plant cell has a fixed, often box-like shape because of its cell wall, plus chloroplasts and a large vacuole. An animal cell has no cell wall, so it has a less regular shape, and it has no chloroplasts and no large permanent vacuole.

Labelling and explaining a plant cell diagram

You are shown a plant cell and asked to label four parts and explain how two of them suit their function.

Step 1: Find the outer boundary and the layer outside it

The thin inner boundary is the cell surface membrane. The thicker layer outside it is the cell wall. Label both, keeping the wall on the outside.

Step 2: Find the large rounded body and the green bodies

The large rounded body is the nucleus. The small green oval bodies are chloroplasts. Label these clearly with straight label lines that touch the structure.

Step 3: Explain how the cell wall suits its function

The cell wall is made of cellulose fibres, which are strong, so it gives the cell shape and stops it bursting when it takes in water. This support helps hold the whole plant up.

Step 4: Explain how the chloroplasts suit their function

Chloroplasts contain chlorophyll, which absorbs light energy. Because the cell has many chloroplasts near the surface, it can capture plenty of light for photosynthesis.

A full-mark answer pairs each named part with a correct function and links the structure to the job.

Examples in context

Example 1. A muscle cell. Muscle cells contract many times and need a lot of energy. They contain many mitochondria, which release energy by aerobic respiration. The number of an organelle can therefore tell you about the job of a cell.

Example 2. A leaf palisade cell. This plant cell is packed with chloroplasts and sits near the top of the leaf where light is strongest. Its many chloroplasts let it carry out a great deal of photosynthesis, showing how organelle number matches function.

Try this

Q1. State the function of the cell surface membrane. [1 mark]

Cue. It controls what substances enter and leave the cell and is partially permeable.

Q2. A cell has a cell wall, chloroplasts and a large vacuole. State whether it is a plant or an animal cell and give a reason. [2 marks]

Cue. It is a plant cell, because a cell wall, chloroplasts and a large permanent vacuole are all features of plant cells and are absent from a typical animal cell.

Q3. Explain why a muscle cell contains many mitochondria. [2 marks]

Cue. Muscle cells contract and need a lot of energy; mitochondria release energy by aerobic respiration, so many are needed to supply that energy.

Exam-style practice questions

Practice questions written in the style of SEAB exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.

Original4 marksThe diagram shows an animal cell. It has an outer boundary, a large central rounded structure, and jelly-like material filling the space between them. Name the three parts labelled and state the function of each.

Show worked answer →

The answer should name each part and give its job.

The outer boundary is the cell surface membrane (cell membrane). It controls what substances enter and leave the cell and is partially permeable.

The large rounded structure is the nucleus. It contains the genetic material (DNA) and controls the activities of the cell, including cell division.

The jelly-like material is the cytoplasm. It is where many chemical reactions of the cell take place and where the organelles are held.

Markers reward the correct name of each part paired with a correct function. Naming a part but giving the wrong function, or describing a function without naming the part, scores only partial credit.

Original3 marksState three features found in a plant cell but not in a typical animal cell, and give the function of one of them.

Show worked answer →

Three correct features are the cell wall, the chloroplasts, and a large permanent (central) vacuole.

For a function: the cell wall is made of cellulose and gives the cell shape and support; or chloroplasts contain chlorophyll and are the site of photosynthesis; or the large vacuole contains cell sap and helps keep the cell firm (turgid).

Markers reward three correct plant-only structures and one correct function. A common error is to list the cell membrane or nucleus, which both plant and animal cells have, so these score no mark.