Final answer:
Plasmodesmata in plant cells and gap junctions in animal cells both facilitate cellular communication by allowing transfer of materials between adjacent cells, though their structures differ.
Step-by-step explanation:
Plasmodesmata in plant cells are functionally similar to gap junctions in animal cells. Both structures are essential for cellular communication, allowing the transport of ions, nutrients, and other substances between adjacent cells. Despite this functional similarity, plasmodesmata and gap junctions have different structures. Plasmodesmata are channels that allow materials to pass from the cytoplasm of one plant cell to the cytoplasm of an adjacent cell, traversing the cell wall. In contrast, animal cells are connected by gap junctions along with other intercellular junctions like tight junctions and desmosomes. Understanding these connections is essential for grasping how cells in multicellular organisms communicate and maintain their structure.