Animal Cell Diagram (Labeled)
A labelled diagram of an animal cell, with every organelle, what it does and how big it is.
What is an animal cell?
An animal cell is the basic building block of every animal, from a sponge to a human. Unlike a plant cell, it has no cell wall, so it is held together only by a thin, flexible membrane. That is why animal cells come in so many shapes: flat skin cells, long nerve cells and red blood cells squeezed into discs that fit through the narrowest capillaries.
Animal cells cannot make their own food. They take in glucose and oxygen from the blood, and their mitochondria release the energy by respiration. Cells that work hard, such as muscle and sperm cells, are packed with extra mitochondria for this reason.
Inside, the nucleus holds the DNA and sends instructions out to the ribosomes, which build proteins. The endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus fold, package and send those proteins where they are needed, and lysosomes break down worn-out parts so they can be recycled.
Animal cell organelles and their functions
| Orgánulo | Qué hace | Tamaño |
|---|---|---|
| Membrana celular | Una piel fina y flexible alrededor de la célula. Controla lo que entra y sale: alimento y oxígeno entran, desechos salen. | about 8 nm thick |
| Núcleo | Mantiene el ADN, las instrucciones para construir y hacer funcionar la célula. Controla lo que hace la célula decidiendo qué proteínas se fabrican. | about 6 µm across |
| Nucléolo | Un punto denso dentro del núcleo donde se ensamblan los ribosomas. | about 1–2 µm |
| Mitocondrio | Libera energía de la glucosa mediante respiración aeróbica (glucosa + oxígeno → dióxido de carbono + agua). Las células activas como las musculares tienen miles. | 1–2 µm long |
| Ribosomas | Máquinas diminutas que leen instrucciones copiadas del ADN y unen aminoácidos entre sí para fabricar proteínas. | about 25 nm |
| retículo endoplasmático rugoso | Membranas plegadas cubiertas de ribosomas. Las proteínas sintetizadas aquí se pliegan y se envían al aparato de Golgi. | se extiende por la célula |
| Retículo endoplasmático liso | Tubos sin ribosomas que fabrican grasas (lípidos) y ayudan a descomponer venenos. | una red de tubos |
| Aparato de Golgi | Sacos aplanados apilados que clasifican, empaquetan y etiquetan proteínas, y luego las envían en pequeñas burbujas (vesículas). | about 1–3 µm |
| Lisosoma | Una bolsa de enzimas digestivas que descompone partes desgastadas y cosas que la célula ha tragado. | 0.1–1 µm |
| Centríolos | Un par de tubos cortos que ayudan a separar los cromosomas cuando la célula se divide. | about 0.5 µm long |
| Citoplasma | El gel que llena la célula. La mayoría de las reacciones químicas de la célula ocurren aquí, y los orgánulos flotan en él. | llena la célula |
Animal cell vs plant cell
Both have a nucleus, cytoplasm, membrane, mitochondria and ribosomes. Only plant cells have a cell wall, chloroplasts and a large vacuole: compare them on the plant cell diagram, or see a quick overview on the cell diagram page.
Open the same animal cell in 3D below: spin it, slice it open and pull each organelle out on its own.
Preguntas frecuentes
What are the parts of an animal cell?
Cell membrane, cytoplasm, nucleus (with a nucleolus), mitochondria, ribosomes, rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, lysosomes and centrioles.
What does an animal cell not have that a plant cell has?
No cell wall, no chloroplasts and no large permanent vacuole. That is why animal cells are rounder and softer, and cannot make their own food by photosynthesis.
What does an animal cell have that a plant cell usually doesn’t?
Centrioles (which help the cell divide) and lysosomes (bags of digestive enzymes).
How big is an animal cell?
Most are 10–30 micrometres across: about a tenth of the width of a human hair, so you need a microscope to see one.
