Question

Plant cells have a large central vacuole, which animal cells lack. What function does this organelle perform?

A) It stores energy for the plant to use later.
B) It provides rigidity to the plant cell when filled with water.
C) It helps the plant to prepare food in the presence of sunlight.
D) It helps the plant to release carbon dioxide as a byproduct of photosynthesis.

Answer 1

Only plants have a large central vacuole. It provides rigidity to the plant cell when filled with water. When the organelle loses water, the plant wilts.

Answer 2

The answer is B.
The vacuole in cells have three main functions which are to provide the plant with support or rigidity, a storage area for nutrients and waste matter and can decompose complex molecules, according to British Society for Cell Biology. In plantcells, the vacuole also can store water.