Three Types of Cells You Need to Know
Animal cells contain the basic kit: cell membrane, mitochondria, cytoplasm, nucleus, and nuclear membrane. They're like the standard model that does all the essential life functions.
Plant cells have everything animal cells do, plus their special extras for plant life. The cell wall provides extra protection, chloroplasts enable photosynthesis, and the large vacuole helps maintain structure and support.
Bacterial cells are the rebels - they're much simpler with a non-cellulose cell wall, cytoplasm, and genetic material floating freely as loops of DNA rather than organised in a nucleus. They also have plasmids, which are small rings of extra DNA.
Stem cells are the ultimate multitaskers - they can divide and differentiate into specialised cells. Adult stem cells (found in bone marrow) are limited in what they can become, whilst embryonic stem cells can potentially become any type of cell.
Key Point: The main difference between these cell types is complexity - bacterial cells are simplest, animal cells are more complex, and plant cells are the most complex with extra features!