Do all cells look the same?

Cells come in many shapes and sizes. Some cells are covered by a cell wall, some have slimy coats or elongated structures that push them through their environment.
Our body has ~200 different types of cells. Non-living materials such as hair, finger nails and the hard part of the bone & teeth are made up of dead cells.

Taking a look inside a cell

Animal & plant cell has many similar room-like structures called organelles. Some cells have a lot of organelles. Organelles in a cell perform different functions.
Listed below are common organelles found in cells:

animal cell plant cell

	Plasma membrane- Helps decide to let water in or out.
	Channels/pores- A channel in the cell's plasma membrane. Made up of proteins whose function is to control the movement of food & water into the cell.
	Nucleus- Control center of the cell. -largest organelle, contains the DNA of the cell. The DNA of all cells is made up of chromosomes. DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) contains all the information for cells to live, perform their functions and reproduce. Inside it is another organelle called the nucleolus. The nucleolus is responsible for making ribosomes.
	Endoplasmic reticulum (ER)- It is a network of membranes throughout the cytoplasm of the cell. There are two types of ER. When ribosomes are attached it is called rough ER and smooth ER when there are no ribosomes attached. The rough ER is where most protein synthesis occurs in the cell. The function of the smooth ER is to synthesize lipids in the cell. The smooth ER is also helps in the detoxification of harmful substances in the cell.
	Ribosomes- Organelles that help make proteins. This organelle is made up of two parts. Some are found in the cytoplasm, but most are attached to the ER. While attached to the ER, ribosomes make proteins.
	Golgi complex-Responsible for sorting and correctly shipping the proteins produced in the ER. It is an important step in making proteins.
	Mitochondria- This is the cell's powerhouse. This organelle packages the energy of the food into ATP molecules. There are more of these "mighty" organelles in cells that have to perform lots of work. i.e. your leg muscle cells, heart muscle cells etc.
	Chloroplast- The cell organelle in which photosynthesis takes place. In this organelle the light energy of the sun is converted into chemical energy. They are found only in plant cells not animal cells. The chemical energy that is produced by chloroplasts is finally used to make carbohydrates like starch, that get stored in the plant. They contain tiny pigments called chlorophylls. Chlorophylls are responsible for trapping the light energy from the sun.
	Vesicles- This term literally means "small vessel". This organelle helps store & transport products produced by the cell. They are the transport & delivery vehicles like our mail & Fed-Ex trucks. Some vesicles deliver materials to parts of the cell & others transport materials outside the cell in a process called exocytosis.
	Vacuole - It contains large amounts of water & stores other important materials such as sugars, ions & pigments.
	Cytoplasm- A term for all the contents of a cell other than the nucleus. This "goop" contains mostly water. Some fun facts about water and the human body: Adult bodies = 50 to 65% water. Child’s body = 75%. The human brain is ~75%water.
	Cell wall and Plasmodesmata- In addition to cell membranes, plants have cell walls. They provide protection and support for plants. Unlike cell membranes materials cannot get through cell walls. This would be a problem for plant cells if not for special openings called plasmodesmata. These openings are used to communicate and transport materials between plant cells.