Which of the following is NOT correctly matched, with regard to plant and animal cells?
Correct Answer :
Cell wall - Present in animal cells
Solution :
The correct option is "Cell wall - Present in animal cells".
To understand why this is the incorrect match (and thus the correct answer to the question), let us analyze the structural differences between plant and animal cells:
1. Cell Wall: The cell wall is a rigid, protective outer layer that provides structural support and shape. It is a defining feature of plant cells, fungi, and some bacteria, but it is completely absent in animal cells. Animal cells only have a flexible cell membrane as their outermost boundary. Therefore, stating that the cell wall is present in animal cells is incorrect.
2. Plastids: Plastids are double-membrane organelles involved in the synthesis and storage of food. A common example is chloroplasts, which carry out photosynthesis. Since plants are autotrophs (make their own food) and animals are heterotrophs (cannot make their own food), plastids are present in plant cells and absent in animal cells. These matches are correct.
3. Vacuoles: Vacuoles are membrane-bound organelles used for storage. Plant cells typically feature a single, very large central vacuole that takes up most of the cell's volume and helps maintain turgor pressure. In contrast, animal cells contain multiple, much smaller vacuoles. Thus, this match is also correct.
Because the question asks for the pair that is NOT correctly matched, the correct choice is "Cell wall - Present in animal cells".
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