Question

Which of the following feature will help you in distinguishing a plant cell from an animal cell?

• A. cell wall
• B. cell membrane
• C. mitochondria
• D. nucleus

Answer 1

The correct option is A

cell wall

The Correct option is A.

Explanation for Correct option:

1. The cell wall is present outside the cell membrane.
2. Animals lack cell walls, but most other eukaryotes, such as algae, fungus, and plants, as well as most prokaryotes, do possess it.
3. Plant cell walls are composed of cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, pectin, soluble protein, and microfibrils. They are organized in layers.
4. The primary cell wall, the intermediate lamella, and the secondary cell wall are the three main layers into which these elements are arranged.
5. The cell wall provides tensile strength and protection against mechanical and osmotic stress.
6. Additionally, it enables the development of turgor pressure or the pressure of the contents of the cell against the cell wall.

Explanation for Incorrect option:

Option B:

1. The cell membrane is a biological membrane that surrounds every cell and shields its interior from the outside environment.
2. Cell member cannot be a distinguishing feature as it is present in both animal and plant cells.

Option C:

1. As membrane-bound cell organelles, mitochondria create the majority of the chemical energy needed to power a cell's metabolic processes.
2. Animals and plants both have mitochondria. Mitochondria are absent in prokaryotes.

Option D:

1. The nucleus is the membrane-enclosed organelle in a cell that contains the chromosomes.
2. The well-defined nucleus is a defining feature between eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells.
3. Animal and plant cells both have nuclei since they are eukaryotic cells.

Final answer: Cell wall distinguishes a plant cell from an animal cell.