Question

Check your understanding. what did you include in your explanation? a vacuole is used for temporary storage of water, waste products, food, and cellular material. plants take in large amounts of water and need a place to store the water. vacuoles are larger in plant cells than animal cells to store the water and other materials needed by the cell.

Answer 1

Vacuoles are membrane-bound organelles for storage and maintaining turgor pressure, larger in plant cells and contributing to cell growth and structure.

Step-by-step explanation:

Vacuoles are important membrane-bound organelles present in both plant and animal cells. In plant cells, the central vacuole plays a crucial role in maintaining proper cell structure and growth. These vacuoles are significantly larger than their animal cell counterparts and can occupy up to 90% of the cell's volume.

They are surrounded by a membrane known as the tonoplast, which regulates the flow of water and contributes to maintaining turgor pressure against the cell wall. This pressure is vital for keeping plants upright and is noticeable when a plant wilts due to inadequate water, indicating that the central vacuoles have lost water and volume. Furthermore, vacuoles serve various functions including the temporary storage of water, waste, nutrients, and other cellular materials; in plants, they may also store pigments that color flowers. Animal cell vacuoles, on the other hand, are smaller and often involved in storing food being digested and waste material on its way out of the cell.