Cells, the smallest unit of life, make up all living organisms. Humans are made up of over a trillion cells; red blood cells, white blood cells, skin cells, and more, are all a part of what composes the human body. But, cells also make up the body and structure of bacteria, archaea, protists, fungi, plants, and animals. They can be comprised into two different categories: the eukaryotic cells and the prokaryotic cells. Eukaryotic cells have membrane-bound organelles and a membrane-bound nucleus, while prokaryotic cells have no membrane-bound organelles and no membrane-bound nucleus. Cells can be quite fascinating, especially when one focuses on the similarities and differences of plants and animal cells, the structure and function of the cell membrane, the process of diffusion and osmosis, hypertonic, hypotonic, and isotonic solutions, adenosine triphosphate, photosynthesis, and cellular respiration.
Both plants and animal cells have a range of similarities and differences. Animal cells and plant cells fall into the type of cell category called eukaryotic cells. Both animal and plant cells have some similar organelles such as, the plasma membrane, nucleus, mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, ribosomes and Golgi apparatus. Although they have a wide variety of similarities, they also have their differences. Plant cells have a rigid structure that surround the cell membrane called the cell wall, while animal cells do not; the cell wall helps retain the shape of the plant cell.