A plant cell is a eukaryotic cell that is enclosed by a cell wall and contains a membrane-bound nucleus and other organelles. Plant cells are the basic unit of all plants and are present in green plants, photosynthetic eukaryotes of the kingdom Plantae. Some of the key characteristics of plant cells include:

• Cell wall: Unlike animal cells, plant cells have a cell wall surrounding the cell membrane. The cell wall is composed of cellulose and has a multitude of functions upon which plant life depends. It provides shape to the plant cell, is flexible during growth, and has small pores called plasmodesmata that allow the exchange of nutrients and hormones between cells.

• Chloroplasts: Plant cells can be distinguished from most other cells by the presence of chloroplasts, which are also found in certain algae. Chloroplasts are a type of plastid that serve as the site of photosynthesis, the process by which energy from the Sun is converted into chemical energy for growth. Chloroplasts contain the pigment chlorophyll to absorb light energy.

• Vacuoles: Another important characteristic of many plant cells is the presence of one or more large vacuoles. Vacuoles are storage organelles, and those in plant cells enable them to attain a large size without accumulating the bulk that would make metabolism difficult. Within the vacuole is the cell sap, a water-filled volume enclosed by a membrane known as the tonoplast that maintains the cells turgor, controls movement of molecules between the cytosol and sap, stores useful material such as phosphorus and nitrogen, and digests waste proteins and organelles.

• Plastids: Plastids are membrane-bound organelles with their own DNA. Examples are chloroplasts and chromoplasts. Chloroplasts contain the green pigment chlorophyll and are involved in photosynthesis, while chromoplasts contain pigments that give fruits and flowers their bright colors.

Plant cells differentiate from undifferentiated meristematic cells to form the major classes of cells and tissues of roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and reproductive structures, each of which may be composed of several cell types. Some of the different types of plant cells include parenchyma cells, sclerenchyma cells, collenchyma cells, xylem cells, and phloem cells.