The Vacuole

Selah Lewis

Eamon Young

What is a vacuole?
Found in both plant and animal cells, a vacuole is a fluid-filled pocket in the cell's
cytoplasm that serves varying functions depending on the cell's requirements, but
usually as a form of storage.

Animal Cells

Animal vacuoles are generally small

and large in number. They are
relatively small vacuoles, such as
phagocytic vacuoles, food vacuoles,
autophagic vacuoles and contractile
vacuoles.

In animals, the vacuole stores various

substances like waste products, and
contributes to the osmotic properties of the cell. In some cases, the vacuole
may act as a lysosome (phagocytic vacuoles).

Usually stores worn-out cell parts that are already degraded. It also removes
unwanted substances that may threaten the system, exporting them out of
the cell.

Phagocytic Vacuoles

An organelle found in animal eukaryotic cells

The phagocytic vacuole is also called the lysosome. Bacteria and viruses that
are ingested by phagocytes are broken down inside the lysosome which is
capable of doing this because it contains acid hydrolases (enzymes) that help
break down components of the ingested material. The interior of the
lysosome has a very low pH (it is very acidic), and that is the optimum pH for
its enzymes.

Non-phagocytic cells also contain lysosomes, however it would be somewhat

erroneous to call it a phagocytic vacuole, as they are not phagocytes. These
lysosomes are the same in both phagocytes and non-phagocytes, however
non-phagocytes tend to use it mainly for breaking down old structures that
are defective/damaged so that the components may be recycled for new
parts.

Autophagic Vacuole

A membrane-bound vacuole, derived from within the cell, which contains

material to be digested.

The Vacuole
Selah Lewis

Eamon Young

Autophagy is an intracellular degradation system that delivers cytoplasmic

components to the lysosome, or this case, the autophagic vacuole. The most
typical trigger of autophagy is nutrient starvation; in this sense, lack of any
type of essential nutrient can induce autophagy.

Contractile Vacuole

In some single-celled organisms, there are contractile vacuoles. A contractile

vacuole (as its name implies) expands and contracts. Its main function is to
pump water out of the cell through a process called osmoregulation. In order
for the contractile vacuole to work, there needs to be an imbalanced
concentration of solute and solvent, since the cell works by osmosis.

When there is too much water, the contractile vacuole works to pump out the
water. This helps to protect the cell: if there is too much water in the cell, it
will swell until it eventually ruptures, destroying the cell. Contractile vacuoles
keep this in check. They expand when water enters (called the diastole) and
contract when filled with water, carrying water along with wastes outside of
the cell (called the systole).

Plant Cells

In plants, the vacuole is a sac bounded by a single membrane called the

tonoplast. It contains a concentrated solution of various substances, such as
mineral salts, sugars, pigments, organic acids, and enzymes, called cell sap.

A large central vacuole is a particular feature of many plant cells, where it

can occupy 8090 per cent of the total cell volume. However, some plant
cells have a few, regular-sized vacuoles.

Function

Water generally enters

the concentrated cell
sap by osmosis through
the partially permeable
tonoplast. As a result a
pressure builds up
within the cell and
cytoplasm is pushed
against the cell wall.
Osmotic uptake of
water is important in
cell expansion during

The Vacuole
Selah Lewis

Eamon Young

cell growth, as well as in the normal water relations of plants. Simply put, it
functions to maintain the proper pressure within the plant cells to provide
structure and support for the growing plant.

The End.