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Q57 (IAS/2020) Science & Technology › Basic Science (Physics, Chemistry, Biology) › Human anatomy physiology Official Key

Which of the following statements are correct regarding the general difference between plant and animal cells? 1. Plant cells have cellulose cell walls whilst animal cells do not. 2. Plant cells do not have plasma membrane unlike animal cells which do. 3. Mature plant cell has one large vacuole whilst animal cell has many small vacuoles. Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Result
Your answer:  ·  Correct: C
Explanation

The correct answer is Option 3 (1 and 3 only) based on the fundamental structural differences between plant and animal cells:

  • Statement 1 is correct: Plant cells possess a rigid outer layer called the cell wall made of cellulose, which provides structural support. Animal cells lack a cell wall entirely, possessing only a flexible cell membrane.
  • Statement 2 is incorrect: Both plant and animal cells have a plasma membrane (cell membrane). It is a universal feature of all living cells that acts as a selective barrier. In plants, the plasma membrane is located just inside the cell wall.
  • Statement 3 is correct: Mature plant cells typically contain a single, large central vacuole that can occupy up to 90% of the cell volume, maintaining turgor pressure. Animal cells may have vacuoles, but they are small, temporary, and numerous.

Since statements 1 and 3 are scientifically accurate and statement 2 is false, Option 3 is the right choice.

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PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
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Don’t just practise – reverse-engineer the question. This panel shows where this PYQ came from (books / web), how the examiner broke it into hidden statements, and which nearby micro-concepts you were supposed to learn from it. Treat it like an autopsy of the question: what might have triggered it, which exact lines in the book matter, and what linked ideas you should carry forward to future questions.
Q. Which of the following statements are correct regarding the general difference between plant and animal cells? 1. Plant cells have cellul…
At a glance
Origin: Books + Current Affairs Fairness: Low / Borderline fairness Books / CA: 3.3/10 · 6.7/10
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This is a classic 'Back to Basics' confidence check. While the provenance analysis flagged parts as web-based, this is pure NCERT Class VIII & IX General Science. The strategy here is simple: do not neglect school-level science textbooks in favor of high-tech Current Affairs. If you missed this, your foundation is shaky.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
In the general differences between plant and animal cells: do plant cells have cellulose cell walls while animal cells do not?
Origin: Web / Current Affairs Fairness: CA heavy Web-answerable

Web source
Presence: 5/5
"Plant cells have a rigid [cell wall] made of [cellulose] ... which surrounds the [cell membrane] and provides structural support and protection."
Why this source?
  • Explicitly states plant cells have a rigid cell wall made of cellulose.
  • Links the cellulose cell wall to structural support, distinguishing plant cells from animal cells.
Web source
Presence: 5/5
"While the chief component of prokaryotic cell walls is peptidoglycan, the major organic molecule in the plant cell wall is cellulose, a polysaccharide comprised of glucose units."
Why this source?
  • Identifies cellulose as the major organic molecule in the plant cell wall.
  • Contrasts plant cell walls with other types (prokaryotic peptidoglycan), supporting that plant walls are cellulose-based while animal cells lack such walls.
Web source
Presence: 4/5
"Plant cells have a cell wall, chloroplasts and other specialized plastids, and a large central vacuole, whereas animal cells do not."
Why this source?
  • States that plant cells have a cell wall while animal cells do not, directly supporting the contrast in the statement.
  • Lists the cell wall among features present in plant cells but absent in animal cells.

Science ,Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: The Invisible Living World: Beyond Our Naked Eye > Activity 2.3: Let us investigate > p. 12
Strength: 5/5
“These three—cell membrane, cytoplasm, and nucleus — are the basic parts of a cell. Some cells, like onion peel cells, have an extra outer layer called the cell wall. What is the importance of these structures in a cell? What functions do they perform? Are these functions important for the maintenance of life? The cell membrane encloses the cytoplasm and nucleus. The cell membrane separates one cell from another. It is porous and allows the entry of materials essential for life processes and the exit of waste material. Cytoplasm contains other components of the cell and compounds, such as carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and mineral salts.”
Why relevant

Explicitly states some cells (e.g., onion peel cells) have an extra outer layer called the cell wall.

How to extend

A student could combine this with the common basic fact that plant tissues (like onion) are composed of cells with walls and therefore suspect plant cells generally have cell walls (often composed of cellulose).

Science ,Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: The Invisible Living World: Beyond Our Naked Eye > Activity 2.2: Let us study a cell (Teacher demonstration activity) > p. 11
Strength: 4/5
“Compare it with Fig. 2.3c.• z What similarities do you find in Fig. 2.3c and Fig. 2.3d? You will observe nearly rectangular structures under the microscope. These are the cells of the onion peel, which are closely arranged without any space between them. Try to observe the peels of the leaves of different plants around you. You will find that all plants are made up of cells. What do you think the body of an animal is made of?”
Why relevant

Describes microscopic observation of onion peel cells as closely arranged rectangular structures — a pattern characteristic of cells with rigid outer layers (cell walls).

How to extend

A student could use this morphological clue plus knowledge that rigid, rectangular plant cell shapes arise from cell walls to test the claim.

Science ,Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: The Invisible Living World: Beyond Our Naked Eye > 2.5 Why Is Cell Considered to Be a Basic Unit of Life? > p. 24
Strength: 4/5
“Like animal and plant cells, the cells of microorganisms are also surrounded by a cell membrane. Cells of fungi additionally have a cell wall, but they do not have chloroplasts, so they cannot make their own food through photosynthesis. Bacteria do not have a well-defined nucleus and a nuclear membrane. Instead they have a nucleoid. This feature distinguishes them from cells of yeast, protozoa, algae, fungi, plants, and animals. We have only looked at a few basic cell structures here. The cell has other components about which you will learn in higher classes. For observing subcellular components, we need microscopes with high magnification.”
Why relevant

Notes that fungi additionally have a cell wall, distinguishing types of organisms by presence/absence of walls.

How to extend

A student can infer that cell walls occur in multiple kingdoms (not only plants), so they should check composition (e.g., cellulose in plants vs other polymers in fungi) rather than assuming walls are unique to plants.

Science ,Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: The Invisible Living World: Beyond Our Naked Eye > A step further > p. 13
Strength: 3/5
“So, a cell is not just a simple bag of liquid—it is a complex structure made up of many different parts, each with its own special function to allow the cell, and in turn the entire organism to work. (The colours are to show different parts of the cell) We have now understood the basic structure of cell. And we now also understand that plant and animal cells differ in shape and structure. Do different animal cells also vary in their shape and structure?”
Why relevant

States plant and animal cells differ in shape and structure, indicating systematic structural differences between the two groups.

How to extend

A student could use this general rule to look for specific structural features (like cell walls) that are present in plants but absent in animals.

Science ,Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: The Invisible Living World: Beyond Our Naked Eye > 2.1.1 Variation in shape and structure of cells > p. 14
Strength: 3/5
“Some plant cells form long tubes that help carry water throughout the plant. You have already studied the digestive system in Grade 7. Different parts of the digestive system are made up of different types of cells. A group of muscle cells are present in the food pipe. These cells contract and relax in a wave-like manner, pushing the food down to the stomach. This movement is possible because muscle cells are thin, flexible, and spindle-shaped. The stomach also has different types of cells for performing different functions. Muscle cells in the stomach wall help churn the food. Other cells in the inner lining of the stomach produce digestive juices and acid that help break down the food.”
Why relevant

Gives examples of specialised plant cell forms (e.g., long tubes) implying plant cells have organization and structural features tied to rigid cell walls.

How to extend

A student could relate specialized plant cell functions and shapes to the presence of cell walls and then check whether animal cells show comparable rigid outer layers.

Statement analysis

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Statement analysis

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SIMILAR QUESTIONS

IAS · 2018 · Q57 Relevance score: 9.05

Which of the following statements are correct regarding the general difference between plant and animal cells? 1. Plant cells have cellulose cell walls whilst animal cells do not. 2. Plant cells do not have plasma membrane unlike animal cells which do. 3. Mature plant cell has one large vacuole whilst animal cell has many small vacuoles. Select the correct answer using the code given below:

CDS-I · 2003 · Q107 Relevance score: 5.22

Consider the following statements: I. Plant cells have fewer mitochondria than animal cells. II. Plastids in a plant cell are the organelles enclosed by a single membrane. III. The Golgi complex in a cell participates in the recycling of plasma membrane. Which of these statements are correct?

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Which one among the following statements is correct ?

CDS-I · 2022 · Q16 Relevance score: 3.80

Which one of the following statements is correct about the cell membrane ?

NDA-I · 2022 · Q23 Relevance score: 3.74

Which one of the following statements about Vacuoles’ is not correct?