There are fundamental differences between plant cells and animal cells. The structure of a palisade cell from a leaf as seen with an optical microscope. The appearance, ultrastructure and function of • cell wall • chloroplasts. Candidates should be able to apply their knowledge of these and other eukaryotic features in explaining adaptations of other plant cells.

Plant cells and animal cells share some of the same organelles, but there are some that differ. Cell walls and chloroplasts are examples of things that plant cells have which animal cells don't. Bother can have vacuoles but plants almost always have large central ones and animals rarely have them, and when they do they are small and scattered. Another difference is that plants store glucose as starch and animals store it as glycogen.

A palisade cell is traps sunlight with chlorophyll, it is found in the leaf.

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Cell wall
This is needed in a plant cell to offer structural support, stop cells bursting and provide the symplastic pathway for water movement. They are made up of polysaccharides, like cellulose, and have a middle lamella which holds adjacent cells together.

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Chloroplasts
These are needed in plant cells as they need the suns energy to carry out photosynthesis.
They are made up of three parts:

• The chloroplast envelope- double plasma membrane to control the movement of substances in and out of the cell.
• The grana- stacks of disks (thylakoids) which contain chlorophyll and have a large surface area for the first stage of photosynthesis. Tubular extensions can link them.
• The stoma- matrix with the enzymes needed for the second stage of photosynthesis
• DNA and ribosomes to manufacture proteins for photosynthesis

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Root hair cells adaptations

• Carrier proteins for active transport
• Lots of mitochondria to produce ATP for active transport
• Long thin shape to increase surface area for diffusion
• Large vacuole containing a high proportion of ions to decrease the water potential and encourage osmosis into the cell

Xylem vessel adaptations

• Thick walls to cope with the negative pressure of transpiration
• Thickening happens in a spiral so the plant is still flexible
• They are hollow and elongated so that water can move up them
• They are dead so that water does not need to diffuse through anything and can go quickly through
• Have a substance called lignin in their walls to offer strength and make it water proof (so water doesn't move out by osmosis)