Question

What is the difference in the vacuoles of both plant and animal cells?
A. Animal cells- contain only waste, plant cells- contain only water
B. Animal cells- small vacuoles, plant cells- vacuoles make up 90% of the cell
C. Animal cells- vacuoles make up 90% of the cell, plant cells- small vacuoles
D. Animal cells- contain only water, plant cells- contain only waste
E. Vacuoles are the same in both, plant and animal cells

Answer 1

Hint: Animal cells are known for both abundance and absence of vacuoles. Although the number of vacuoles is greater in an animal cell, they are relatively small in size as compared to a plant cell and sometimes even absent.

Complete answer:
Vacuoles are multifunctional membrane bounded organelles, present in animal cells, plant cells as well as in some bacterial cells, fungal cells and protist cells. Vacuoles are irregularly shaped organelles formed from assembly of multiple vesicles.
Vacuoles perform diverse and numerous functions in a cell. They are responsible for the transportation of ions and other small molecules inside a cell. The role played in ion transportation maintains the cytoplasmic pH of the cell. In animal cells, vacuoles act as storage vesicles before the molecules could be transported to their desired destination.
In plants, vacuoles play a more consequential role. They occupy 30% of a plant cell volume and can enlarge to occupy almost the entire cell’s volume. The membrane covering plant vacuoles is called tonoplast. Plant vacuoles store water in the form of cell sap and is responsible for maintaining turgor inside the cell.
Vacuoles not only store the dead and degraded molecules of metabolic activity but also in case of a toxic explosion inside the cell, the harmful and unwanted substances are isolated from the rest of the cell so as to prevent them from interfering with the normal functioning of the cell.

The correct option is B.

Note: It is observed that vacuoles are present in both, animal cells and plant cells. Vacuoles majorly act as storage bubbles which means they can store waste products released in the cells when needed. However, that is not all a vacuole does. It stores other valuable byproducts too.