Question

Why plastids are absent in animal cells?

Answer 1

Plastids:

1. These are the cell organelles typically found in plant cells.
2. They are hollow sacs covered by a double membranous layer.
3. They synthesise and manufacture pigments necessary for the process of photosynthesis.
4. They contain their own DNA and ribosomes.

Plastids are absent in animals because:

1. Animals are mobile organisms, which means that they can move around to obtain their food.
2. They can fulfill their nutritional requirement by preying or obtaining food from other sources.
3. Therefore, they do not require any pigments which help in synthesising food through photosynthesis.
4. Plants on the other hand, are immobile and require to synthesise their own food in order to survive.
5. Thus, they have plastids present in them.