Question

Why are vacuoles absent in animal cells?

Answer 1

Vacuole:

1. A vacuole is a membrane-bound cell organelle.
2. They are prominently present in the plant cells and sometimes occupy up to 90% of a cell's volume.
3. It stores essential nutrients for the plant cell such as starch, lipids, etc.
4. Plants have large vacuoles for the storage of reserve food since they can not move in search of food during adverse conditions.

Presence of vacuoles in animal cells:

1. Vacuoles are not totally absent in animal cells.
2. They are highly reduced since animals use up most of their energy in a variety of metabolic activities.
3. Unlike plants, animals are mobile and can move around to obtain their food.
4. Therefore, their vacuole is comparatively smaller and is generally used to store waste materials to be eliminated from the body.