All cells perform a few basic functions including the production of proteins, energy refinement and reproduction.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9exRxOozxtI Eukaryotic cells contain a membrane-bound nucleus that houses the cell's DNA and they all contain membrane-bound organelles such as mitochondria.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9exRxOozxtI  However, amongst eukaryotic organisms, plant cells and animal cells have many significant differences.

One of the major differences between plant and animal cells is that animal cells are heterotrophic, which means they must gather energy from their environment.  Meanwhile, plant cells are autotrophic, which means they can create their own food.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9exRxOozxtI  Plant cells can create their own food because they are photosynthetic, they convert light energy into chemical energy using chloroplasts, an organelle that only plants have.http://biology.clc.uc.edu/courses/bio104/photosyn.htm 

Plant cells produce their own food through photosynthesis.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9exRxOozxtI  Photosynthesis is the conversion of light energy into chemical energy, and the organelles that allow plants to accomplish this feat are called chloroplasts.http://biology.clc.uc.edu/courses/bio104/photosyn.htm  Plants also have rigid cell walls made of cellulose which support the structure of the organism as well as water regulation.http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/cells/plantcell.html  Plant cells have a central vacuole which can be responsible for water regulation, storing nutrients, or even storing poisons, depending on the species of plant.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9exRxOozxtI 

Unlike plant cells, animal cells are heterotrophic, they must gather energy from their environment. Animal cells do not have rigid cell walls like plants, only a plasma membrane. The lack of rigid cell walls allows animals to develop greater diversity of cell types, tissues, and organs. Animal cells have two things that plant cells do not, centrioles and intermediate filaments.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9exRxOozxtI Centrioles are paired organelles which serve as an organizing center for microtubules.http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/cells/centrioles/centrioles.html  Intermediate filaments are elongated structures within the cytoplasm which provide the cell with tensile strength.http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/glossary=intermediatefilaments