What is the difference between fungal cells and plant cells?

Plants are eukaryotic, autotrophic organism with differentiation into stem, root and leaf. The branch of science that deals with the study of plants is called botany.

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Main Differences Between Plants and Fungi
Comparison Chart

Fungi (singular: fungus) are eukaryotic, heterotrophic organism without differentiated plant body. The branch of science that deals with the study of fungus is called mycology.

Plant cell vs Fungal cell

Plant cell	Fungal cell
Plants have definite cell wall.	Fungi may be septate (with internal cross wall) or aseptate (without internal cross wall).
Plant cell wall is made up of cellulose.	Fungal cell wall is made up of chitin.
Plant cell generally possess single nucleus per cell	Fungal cell may be uninucleated or multinucleated (many nuclei per cell)
Plant cell possess chloroplast therefore carrying out photosynthesis (autotrophs).	Chloroplast is absent in fungal cells therefore living as saprophytes (feeding on dead decayed matter) or parasites (heterotrophs).
In plant cells, phytosterols are associated with plasma membrane and membranes of other organelles.	In fungal cells, ergosterol is the most common sterol associated with plasma membrane and membranes of other organelles.
In plant cell, starch granules are present as stored food is starch. Learn more: Classification of Plant groups	In fungal cells, glycogen granules are present as stored food is glycogen. Learn more: Fungi Classification

Last Updated: April 24, 2019

In the early years of scientific study, fungi were part of the plant kingdom. Since that time they have been given their own kingdom because of their unique structure and function. Botany is the branch of science that deals with plants and mycology is the study of fungus. Plants are easily identifiable by their green color. Some examples of fungi are mushrooms, yeast and mold.

Main Differences Between Plants and Fungi

One of the main differences between plants and fungi is that fungi have chitin as a component of their cell walls instead of cellulose. Both chitin and cellulose are comprised of polysaccharide chains. In plants the monomer in this chain is glucose and in fungi it is a modified form of glucose called N-acetylglucosamine. Another contrast between plants and fungi is the presence of chlorophyll in plants and not in fungi. Fungi absorb all the nutrients they need from the soil unlike plants which require chlorophyll to conduct photosynthesis.

The table below shows more differences between plants and fungi.

Comparison Chart

Feature	Fungi	Plants
Major cell wall component	Chitin (N-acetylglucosamine)	Cellulose (glucose)
Has chlorophyll for photosynthesis?	No	Yes
Digests food before uptake?	Yes	No
Has roots, stems and leaves?	No, has filaments	Yes
Can make their own food?	No, heterotrophic	Yes, autotrophic
Types of gametes	Spores	Seeds and pollen
Trophic level	Decomposers	Producers
Food storage form	Glycogen	Starch

One difference between plants and fungi is in the main substance that makes up their cell walls. The image above shows how N-acetylglucosamine polymerizes into chitin (in fungi cell walls) and how glucose polymerizes into cellulose (in plant cell walls).

References

8 Differences Between Plants and Fungi. (n.d.). In Major Differences.com. Retrieved January 9, 2018 from http://www.majordifferences.com/2017/07/8-differences-between-plants-and-fungi.html#.WlU_E6inFpg
Difference Between Fungi and Plants. (n.d.). In DifferenceBetween.net. Retrieved January 9, 2018 from http://www.differencebetween.net/science/difference-between-fungi-and-plants/

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Biologydictionary.net Editors. "Fungi vs. Plants." Biology Dictionary, Biologydictionary.net, 24 Jan. 2018, https://biologydictionary.net/fungi-vs-plants/.

Biologydictionary.net Editors. (2018, January 24). Fungi vs. Plants. Retrieved from https://biologydictionary.net/fungi-vs-plants/

Biologydictionary.net Editors. "Fungi vs. Plants." Biology Dictionary. Biologydictionary.net, January 24, 2018. https://biologydictionary.net/fungi-vs-plants/.