Plants and animalsSpec 1.2
In short
Plants and animals are multicellular eukaryotic organisms, so their cells have a nucleus. Plant cells contain chloroplasts, have cellulose cell walls, carry out photosynthesis and store carbohydrate as starch or sucrose. Animal cells have no chloroplasts or cell walls, animals often store carbohydrate as glycogen, and they usually have nervous co-ordination and can move from place to place.
Plants and animals are both eukaryotic organisms: their cells have a nucleus. Both groups are multicellular, which means their bodies are made of many cells.
| Feature | Plants | Animals |
|---|---|---|
| Number of cells | Multicellular | Multicellular |
| Chloroplasts | Cells contain chloroplasts | Cells do not contain chloroplasts |
| Photosynthesis | Able to carry out photosynthesis | Not able to carry out photosynthesis |
| Cell wall | Cellulose cell walls | No cell walls |
| Carbohydrate store | Starch or sucrose | Often glycogen |
| Co-ordination and movement | No nervous co-ordination | Usually have nervous co-ordination and can move from one place to another |
- Examples of plants
- Flowering plants, such as a cereal (for example maize) and a herbaceous legume (for example peas or beans).
- Examples of animals
- Mammals (for example humans) and insects (for example housefly and mosquito).
A common 'compare' mark is the carbohydrate store: plants store starch or sucrose, animals store glycogen. Learn both.
Written and checked against the Edexcel IGCSE Biology (4BI1) specification · Updated October 2026