GCSE · Biology · AQA · Spec 8461

Animal and plant cells

Inside an animal cell

Tap each structure and connect its position on the diagram with its function.

Tap a label to see what it does.

Biology · Cell structure

Explore a plant cell

Plant cells share the main animal-cell structures and often have additional structures with specific functions.

Organelle

Chloroplasts

Site of photosynthesis.

Found in: Plant cells

Plant cells only

Structure → function

Name each structure's job before revealing the answer.

Animal cell or plant cell?

Animal cellsvsPlant cells

Start with the extra structures that distinguish plant cells.

Focus

Chloroplasts

Animal cells

Not among the main structures listed for animal cells

Plant cells

Often present

The insight

Chloroplasts are an additional plant-cell structure where photosynthesis takes place.

Permanent vacuole

Animal cells

Not among the main structures listed for animal cells

Plant cells

Often present and filled with cell sap

Cellulose cell wall

Animal cells

Not present

Plant cells

Present

Nucleus, cytoplasm and cell membrane

Animal cells

Found in most animal cells

Plant cells

Present

Mitochondria and ribosomes

Animal cells

Found in most animal cells

Plant cells

Present

Required Practical 1

Connect cell recognition with observing, drawing and interpreting microscope images.

  1. Observe the cellsUse a light microscope to observe a selection of plant and animal cells so their visible structures can be recognised.
  2. Draw the imageDraw the observed cells so the structures seen with the light microscope are represented clearly.
  3. Label the structuresLabel the recognised sub-cellular structures so the drawing can be interpreted.
  4. Include the scaleInclude a magnification scale and use appropriate units, prefixes and estimations when judging relative size or surface area.

WHAT YOU'VE LEARNED

A quick recap of today's lesson.

Learn the main cell structures, what each one does, and how plant and animal cells compare.

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How this lesson was checked. This AQA GCSE Biology (specification 8461)lesson was published through Lightbulb Learning's human-designed editorial process — the educational standards, accuracy rules and publication checks it must pass were authored and approved by Philip Halpin. It passed subject-specific assessment, automated educational checks and technical publication verification before going live (publication checks completed 11 August 2026). Published pages are monitored, human spot-checking is ongoing across the lesson library, and anything found wrong is corrected or withdrawn. How our lessons are made and checked. Spotted a mistake? Email hello@lightbulblearning.co and we'll review it.