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Asked by iliketoes to Enda, Jean, Kate, Kev, Tim on 18 Nov 2012.
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Tim Downing answered on 18 Nov 2012:
Hi Iliketoes,
The biggest animal cells are about 100 time smaller than a 5 cent coin – these are big egg cells (~0.1mm). In contrast, in complex animals like us, sperm cells tend to be the smallest of all cell types. Most animal cells are about 10 times smaller than egg cells, and some can change size depending on how much they are used – eg muscle cells.
On average, plant cells are about 3 times bigger (excluding animal egg cells). There’s a nice video of it here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWz4ptP_QEU
This shows how the extra cell components in plant cells dictate that they have to be bigger to accommodate these additional parts not found in animal cells. This fun interactive game http://www.cellsalive.com/cells/cell_model.htm
might also let you look at the different cell parts for animals and plants.Tim
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Jean Bourke answered on 19 Nov 2012:
Eggs are just one cell (before they are fertilised) and so Tim is right. Eggs are the largest animal cells that exist though in general animal cells are smaller.
There are other examples of really big cells: nerve cell can vary massively in size thought most of that size is usually length. The longest nerve in the human body is the sciatic nerve and it goes all the way from your hip to your foot. The largest nerves are found in the giant squid.
Since both plants and animals can have cells of varying sizes it is important to note that the most obvious difference is that plant cells have a cell wall made of cellulose, this gives them strength and rigidity.
The other bi
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