Question

Which of the following features will help you in distinguishing a plant cell from an animal cell.
A. Cell wall
B. Cell membrane
C. Mitochondria
D. Nucleus

Answer 1

Hint: Both animal and plant cells differ a lot from each other in many aspects. Plant cells have two membranes whereas animal cells just have one membrane protecting the inner content of cells.

Step by step answer:Plant cell makes the basic structural and functional unit of organisms included in the plant kingdom. In the same way, animal cells form basic structural and functional units of organisms in the animal kingdom. Both types of cells form varied kinds of organisms from unicellular to multicellular organisms.
-Plant cells have a cell wall that is made up of a polymeric carbohydrate called cellulose. This structure imparts mechanical strength and provides cells from osmotic pressure. Possessing a cell wall is one of the exclusive characteristics possessed by a plant cell. The cell wall provides plant cells with turgidity and tensile strength for the plant to remain upright and grow in an upward direction. This enables plants to grow in a direction where they gain maximum sunlight to perform photosynthesis. As plants are immobile, the presence of cell walls serves them with an evolutionary benefit over other types of cells. -Also, plants do not have a skeleton system to support that is why cell walls are important for them to maintain their stature. The cell wall also protects the inner content from mechanical damage and it also serves as an obstacle for disease-causing pathogens to enter into the cell.
-Animal cells do not have a cell wall and it is one of the characteristics of animal cells. Due to the absence of a cell wall, animal cells are able to perform endocytosis which is a process of engulfing foreign particles from the surrounding environment.
-The absence of a cell wall also makes animal cells flexible to grow in the direction which imparts them the maximum degree of the moment. As animals are motile the absence of cell wall is for their own benefit. -Animals have their own skeleton system to support the body structure so they do not need a structure like a cell wall.
Thus, the correct answer is option A.
Additional information: cell wall is also present in the algal cell. It is made up from chitin instead of cellulose. The cell wall is present outside the cell membrane forming a shield for the cell. Other than cellulose it has other components like hemicellulose, pectin, etc.

Note: The presence of the cell wall is one of the many distinguishing factors between plant and animal cells. Plants need a cell wall as they need strength for staying upright as they are immobile as opposed to animal cells which are mobile.