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Name: jennifer
Status: student
Age: 6-8
Location: NY
Country: N/A
Date: 11/7/2005
Question:
my science textbook says both animal cells and plant cells have vacuoles but i went on google to find the diferences and simalarities of the cells and on one of the sites said only the plant cell has vacuoes.which one is right?

Replies:
Jennifer, Well, technically, the animal cell has vesicles and the plant cell has vacuoles. In reality, they are both the same sort of organelle with varying functions. It is just terminology. However, protists are given vacuole terminology and many of them are single celled animals essentially. So go figure! Middle school textbooks are simplifying the terminology to keep the details to a minimum and that is a good idea. You can wait until you take college level biology to get hit with the heavy terminology that you are being spared at this time. Hug your book and say 'Thanks!'

Steve Sample

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