Name __________________________
Hr________________
Score ______/10
Comparing Plant and Animal Cells
Objective: Use cell characteristics to distinguish between plant and animal cells.
Materials: Lab sheet, microscope, colored pencils, prepared plant slide, prepared animal slide.
Procedure:
1. Examine the plant slide under low, medium, and high power. Draw (detailed!) what you see below. In the
40x magnification try to label the: cell wall, nucleus, cytoplasm and chloroplast.
______________X
______________X
______________X
2. Examine the animal slide under low, medium, and high power. Draw (detailed!) what you see below. In the
40x magnification, try to label the: nucleus, cytoplasm, and cell membrane.
______________X
______________X
______________X
Analysis:
3. How were the plant cells and animal cells different in shape?
4. How were the plant cells and animal cells different in size?
Conclusion
5. How are animal and plant cells different from one another?
6. How are they similar to one another?
7. How are cells similar to a factory or business? List 5 similarities.
8. Why is the nucleus considered the “boss” of the cell?
9. Exploring the a Minnesota deciduous forest, a scientist discovers an unknown organism. What cell
characteristics should the scientist examine to tell whether the organism is an animal or plant? Why?
10. Why don’t animal cells have chloroplasts?
ANSWER KEY
3. How were the plant cells and animal cells different in shape?
Animal cells have rounded edges (“blob” shape); plant cells look more like boxes, or rectangles
4. How were the plant cells and animal cells different in size?
Animal cells were much smaller, plant cells were much larger
Conclusion
5. How are animal and plant cells different from one another?
Animal cells contain lysosomes, no cell walls and no chloroplasts
Plant cells do contain cell walls and chloroplasts (appear green!)
6. How are they similar to one another?
Both plant and animal cells contain nuclei, vacuoles, cell membranes, ribosomes
7. How are cells similar to a factory or business? List 5 similarities.
Possible answers: ship substances on the endoplasmic reticulum like a business ships items
Nucleus is in charge like a boss
Allows in vehicles like a cell membrane lets in substances
Creates products like ribosomes create proteins
Golgi Bodies package substances like companies package their products
8. Why is the nucleus considered the “boss” of the cell?
Like a “boss” the nucleus contains the instructions (DNA) for what the cell should do, directs the cell
9. Exploring the a Minnesota deciduous forest, a scientist discovers an unknown organism. What cell
characteristics should the scientist examine to tell whether the organism is an animal or plant? Why?
The scientist should first look for chloroplasts, if chloroplasts are present the organisms is a plant, if
not, the organism is an animal
10. Why don’t animal cells have chloroplasts?
Animals are consumers, not producers; they do not do photosynthesis, they get their energy from
consuming other organisms