thanks for stopping by this is two minute classroom and today we're talking about the plant cell the plant cell is the most basic unit of life in all plants let's go through the major structures of the plant cell and touch briefly on the function of each we'll start on the outside with the cell wall the cell wall is a rigid structure made of cellulose that provides strength and structural support to the cell and plant as a whole the cell wall is also permeable meaning it allows fluid to move freely through it this is not the cell membrane which is our next structure the cell membrane is what separates the cell from the environment outside the cell it is also known as the phospholipid bilayer and has various structures to allow for selective inflow and outflow of water and other molecules and compounds next is the cytoplasm the cytoplasm is everything within the confines of the cell membrane including all organelles proteins and other structures this is not the same as the cytosol which is the fluid these organelles move around in plant cells have a large central vacuole and this vacuole is used for storage but it also plays a large role in plant shape and stability it gives plants turgor pressure underwater plants don't have full central vacuoles and thus look limp or wilted the golgi apparatus or golgi body is the packaging and shipping center of the cell it modifies molecules and proteins produced by the cell and sends them in vesicles to be shipped out of the cell ribosomes are next and they are small structures throughout the cell made up of proteins and rna they are responsible for translating rna into proteins for use in and out of the cell they are found freely floating in the cell or bound to the endoplasmic reticulum and this is our next structure and there are actually two types rough endoplasmic reticulum aids in the production and storage of proteins that are made on the ribosomes attached to it it's these ribosomes that give it its rough texture and name proteins made in the rough er are sent to the golgi apparatus the smooth endoplasmic reticulum or smooth er does not contain ribosomes and is involved in the production of lipids and aids in detoxification nucleus is the center of the cell not necessarily in location but in function this is where your dna is stored and protected the dna is read by special proteins and transcribed into rna to be translated into proteins information that comes out of the nucleus determines how the cell functions and ultimately how your genes are manifested the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell this is where cells and organisms get the energy to function the mitochondria is the main producer of atp the energy currency of the cell similar to the mitochondria is the chloropel chloroplast i say similar but chloroplasts really work in an opposite manner they convert energy from sunlight and use it to form basic carbohydrate compounds this is really the source of usable energy for nearly all living organisms the cytoskeleton is the structure and framework of the cell it contains a vast infrastructure of microtubules and microfilaments it gives cells their shape and structural support the centrosomes are usually located near the nucleus and are responsible for the production of microtubules they also play a critical role in mitosis moving to the ends of the cell and helping it divide so that's a quick crash course into the plant cell if you've learned something please like this video and subscribe for more great content i love to respond to my comments so please leave those below don't forget to check out my other videos and i'll catch you next time [Music] you