Which statement correctly contrasts vacuoles in plant and animal cells?

• A. Plant cells typically have one large central vacuole, while animal cells have many small vacuoles.
• B. Animal cells have one large central vacuole, plant cells have many small vacuoles.
• C. Both have no vacuoles.
• D. Vacuoles are present only in prokaryotic cells.

Answer: (A)

Vacuoles are membrane-bound sacs used for storage and helping maintain water balance in the cell. In plant cells, a single large central vacuole typically takes up a lot of space and stores water, which creates turgor pressure to keep the plant rigid. In animal cells, vacuoles are usually smaller and more numerous, serving various storage and transport roles rather than filling most of the cell’s volume. So describing plants as having one large central vacuole and animals as having many small vacuoles matches what these cells commonly show. The other statements misstate the situation—plants can have a dominant central vacuole, animal cells do have vacuoles, and prokaryotic cells generally lack membrane-bound vacuoles.