Download The Vacuole - Konner Aldridge Enterprises

Aldridge 1
Konner Aldridge
Mr. Bryant
Biology- B4
04 December 2012
Vacuoles: The Storage Bin of the Cell
The vacuole is found within plant, animal, fungal, and bacterial cells and they serve a
vital purpose in each. They are found in hollowed center regions of the cell, and can be very
large in plant cells. The vacuole provides help with intracellular digestion and helps the release
and effective use of cellular waste. The vacuole is considered to be the “storage bin” of the cell.
(Shashank, 2012) The vacuole collects waste within the cell to protect the other organelles from
the harmful effects of the waste by destroying the harmful bacteria found within it. The vacuole
also plays a major role in the growth and development of plants and plant cells.
The vacuole was first discovered by Anton Van Leeuwenhoek on January 25th, 1676. It is
believed that he made his discovery in the Netherlands since he made many other discoveries in
that same place in 1675 and 1676. Because Leeuwenhoek made so many discoveries in such a
short period of time, there are no specific articles or documentation that state the details of his
discovery. Leeuwenhoek, who is considered “the father of microscopy,” was a Dutch scientist
who lived in the Netherlands and discovered many things such as protozoa, the red blood cell
description, infusoria, bacteria, and muscle fibers all within about 15 years. With so many
discoveries made so quickly, documentation was not made.
Vacuoles are found in central and hollow parts of the cell. They are forced by the fusion
of multiple membrane vesicles. Vacuoles do not have a distinct shape or size and can take up to
Aldridge 2
90% of the space found in a mature plant cell. They contain a liquid called sap, which contains
enzymes and compounds necessary to the functionality of the cells. The vacuole also contains
mixtures of things such as sugars, salts, pigments, gases, and acids which can be found in the
center of the organelle. In the early stages of a plant cell, it will contain multiple small vacuoles
and will eventually increase in size and combine together to create a large centrally located
vacuole used for storage. Because the vacuole eventually increases in size and becomes very
large, it pushes other organelles such as the chloroplasts and nucleus against the cell wall and the
cell membrane. This helps a plant to grow and become healthier.
Vacuoles play a huge role in digestion and waste management within the cell. They store
nutrients and waste for the cell, they help “increase cell size during growth” and they can tend to
act like lysosomes (which are found in animal cells) for the plant cell. Vacuoles collect water
within the cell. Vacuoles also regulate turgor pressure within the cell. Turgor pressure is
regulated by the amount of water and materials collected in the cell vacuole. The more water it
has, the more the vacuole will push against the cell wall and other organelles, causing the plant
to grow, become rigid, and stand up straight. If the vacuole does not contain enough water, the
plant will die due to low turgor pressure. The vacuole manages the pH level of the liquid of the
cell and hydrostatic pressure is maintained by the vacuole. The vacuole is also a source of
protection for the cell and all of the other organelles found within the cell. It breaks down and
filters waste and any other material and takes out all of the harmful substances that can be
generated through cell waste. Vacuoles will then quarantine the substances and destroy the
unwanted substances in the cell. The vacuole is much more useful in the plant cell than it is in
the animal cell. The vacuole is a major factor in the growth of a plant and controls all of the
water intake and control turgor pressure. Plant cells contain vacuoles that are much larger in size
Aldridge 3
than any other cell. If a cell contained no vacuole, it would not be able to function and it would
die. It protects all other organelles from the harmful substances found in the liquids and wastes
found within a cell. Without the vacuole filtering the waste, the other organelles would become
poisoned by the contaminants and would not be able to function. Also, in plant cells, the vacuole
is needed to collect water and control turgor pressure. If there were no vacuole present in the
plant cell, the plant would not grow and it would wilt and die because nothing would collect the
water and help support the plant. Without the vacuole, a cell would be useless and non-existent
because they would not be able to function and support themselves. If the cell was compared to a
city, I would describe the vacuole as being either the warehouses, water towers, or garbage
dumps. It would be described as a warehouse because of its ability to store and hold anything
that the cell needs such as waste and water for the cell to grow. It can be described as a water
tower because the vacuole holds and contains all the water found within the cell and uses it to
help the cell function. It can also be described as the garbage dumps (or landfill) because it is
where all the waste and unwanted materials found within a cell are contained. The vacuole then
takes the unwanted material and holds it or destroys anything harmful to other organelles around
it. The vacuole has a very important function within the cell!
The vacuole has a very important and diverse role within the cell. It was discovered by
Anton Van Leeuwenhoek in the late 1600’s and described as a sac-like organelle found within
the cytoplasm of the cell. It is extremely vital and an essential need of the plant cell. Without a
vacuole, a cell would not survive. It maintains and controls the turgor pressure within the plant
cell, which determines how well a plant develops and grows. The vacuole is found in the center
of the cell and contains things such as sugars, acids, and pigments. It is a storage center and
helps with internal digestion and controls the waste management process needed for the cell.
Aldridge 4
The vacuole contains all the water that is needed for the cell to function. It takes up over 90% of
the space found in the plant cell. It is a major need of the cell and is necessary for the cell to
survive.
Aldridge 5
Transmission Electron Micrograph picture of the vacuole:
Aldridge 6
Works Cited
"Anton Van Leeuwenhoek." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 15 Nov. 2012. Web. 02 Dec.
2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton_Van_Leeuwenhoek>.
Khan, Dr. Sumaiya. "Vacuole Structure." Buzzle.com. Buzzle.com, 02 Dec. 2010. Web. 02 Dec.
2012. <http://www.buzzle.com/articles/vacuole-structure.html>.
Leigh, R. A., and D. Sanders. "Section 4: Function." The Plant Vacuole. 3rd ed. San Diego:
Academic, 1997. 24-33. Print.
Nakate, Shashank. "Vacuole Function." Buzzle.com. Buzzle.com, 25 July 2012. Web. 02 Dec.
2012. <http://www.buzzle.com/articles/vacuole-function.html>.
"Vacuoles - Storage Bins to the Cells." Biology4Kids.com: Cell Structure: Vacuoles. Andrew
Rader Studios, 2003. Web. 02 Dec. 2012.
<http://www.biology4kids.com/files/cell_vacuole.html>.