The Central Vacuole: a Key Organelle in Plant Cells

What organelle often takes up much of the volume of a plant cell?

- Peroxisome

- Vacuole

- Golgi apparatus

- Mitochondrion

- Lysosome

Answer:

The central vacuole is the organelle that often takes up much of the volume of a plant cell.

In the context of plant cells, the organelle that often takes up much of the volume is the central vacuole. The central vacuole is a large cell organelle that serves as a storage compartment. It holds water and plays a significant role in cell growth, as it is the site of macromolecule degradation. It can expand without having to produce more cytoplasm, allowing the cell to maintain its size utilizing less energy.

Other organelles, like the peroxisome, Golgi apparatus, mitochondrion, and lysosome, either are smaller or do not exist in some types of cells (like plant cells do not usually have lysosomes). Peroxisomes, for instance, carry out oxidation reactions that break down fatty acids and amino acids and detoxify many poisons. The Golgi apparatus, part of the endomembrane system along with the ER and vesicles, helps modify, package, tag, and transport proteins and lipids that form the membranes.