Different appearences b/w human and plant cells

[xtheunknown0]

Why do onion cells have a more solid and brick-like appearace than human cheek cells? Is it because plants are smaller and have to have their cells more "compacted" together?

[MrMistery]

well, actually there’s no real answer to your question except that onion cells and cheek cells. One might argue that the difference is because plants have a cell wall, but that doesn’t really hold up to the scrutiny, since animal cells can have elaborate forms too..

[snezana]

The reason that onion cell are more rigid than human cheek cells is because all plant cells contain a Cell Wall. The cell wall can only be found in plant cells and is made up of cellulose, other carbohydrates and protein, this can help give a plant its shape and support the whole plant. They also contain a Vacuole: this takes up most of a plant and it is filled with a watery sap, that when full, will push the cell contents tightly against the cell wall making it stiff and rigid. A human cell however only contains cell membrane which is not as strong as a cell wall a nucleus and a cytoplasm. These three features are also found in the plant cell.

[MrMistery]

great info, but doesn’t answer the question. you can be perfectly solid without a cell wall

[Jesse2504]

Postulating here, plant cells walls are generally more rigid that animal cells due to the cell wall matrix. Since turgor pressure is a factor all cells have to account for, cells without a cell wall to resist turgor pressure may have developed a more elliptical shape as this provides additional geometric support.
Since plants do not have to worry about this as much, they may have invested in larger surface area relative to adjacent cells for better diffusion and transport of nutrients, rather than to adopt a more structurally favored shape.

Another reason could be somewhere along plant development, cells with this shape gave the plant an adaption whether it be environmental or because of humans choosing these cells (likely due to nutritional content eg larger vacuoles) which lead to allele increase associated with these types of cells.

Its the same sort of theme with most questions as to why something is as it is, and the answer is most likely that it contributed to its ability to survive (adaption). Structure resembles function.

[Jesse2504]

quote MrMistery:

great info, but doesn’t answer the question. you can be perfectly solid without a cell wall

Could you elaborate? I thought a cell wall was evident of the cell needing additional support.

[MrMistery]

well, not really. animal cells have intermediate filaments for that. plant cells have the cell wall fulfilling that function, so they don’t really have a lot of intermediate filaments.

[Jesse2504]

quote MrMistery:

well, not really. animal cells have intermediate filaments for that. plant cells have the cell wall fulfilling that function, so they don’t really have a lot of intermediate filaments.

Yes I was thinking of the intermediate filaments, perhaps the cell structure came about before these were introduced, when the cells were of smaller size and ancient origin.

Of course it could just be the way it turned out due to the proteins that form the cell membrane in animals, i’m not sure if this has been researched before, might be something for me to look at.

[itheultimate]

quote MrMistery:

well, not really. animal cells have intermediate filaments for that. plant cells have the cell wall fulfilling that function, so they don’t really have a lot of intermediate filaments.

you are genius

[MrMistery]

haha not really.

[Author]

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