Vacuole is cell structure present in both plant and animal cells. Which of the following statements about plant and the animal cell vacuoles is true?

Options

A. The plant cell has many small vacuoles, but the animal cell has one large vacuole
B. The plant cell has one large vacuole, but the animal cell has many small vacuoles.
C. The plant as well as the animal cell has many small vacuoles.
D. The plant as well as the animal cell has one large vacuole.

Answer

To determine which statement about vacuoles in plant and animal cells is true, let's analyze the characteristics of vacuoles in both types of cells step by step.

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understanding Vacuoles**:
- Vacuoles are membrane-bound organelles found in both plant and animal cells. They serve various functions, including storage, waste disposal, and maintaining turgor pressure in plant cells.

2. **Vacuoles in Plant Cells**:
- Plant cells typically contain one large central vacuole. This vacuole is crucial for maintaining the cell's structure and storing nutrients and waste products. The large size of the central vacuole helps in providing rigidity to the plant cell.

3. **Vacuoles in Animal Cells**:
- In contrast, animal cells usually have many smaller vacuoles. These vacuoles are involved in storage and transport of substances within the cell but do not play as significant a role in maintaining cell structure as they do in plant cells.

4. **Evaluating the Statements**:
- **Statement 1**: "Plant cell has many small vacuoles but the animal cell has one large vacuole." - This is incorrect.
- **Statement 2**: "Plant cell has one large vacuole but the animal cell has many small vacuoles." - This is correct.
- **Statement 3**: "Plant as well as the animal cell has many small vacuoles." - This is incorrect.
- **Statement 4**: "Plant as well as animal cell has one large vacuole." - This is incorrect.

5. **Conclusion**:
- The true statement regarding vacuoles in plant and animal cells is **Statement 2**: "Plant cell has one large vacuole but the animal cell has many small vacuoles."