Animal cell diagram with labels

An animal cell is a eukaryotic cell with a flexible plasma membrane and no cell wall, chloroplasts or large central vacuole. Inside are a nucleus, rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulum, a Golgi apparatus, mitochondria, ribosomes, peroxisomes and a cytoskeleton, plus two structures typical plant cells lack: lysosomes and a centrosome with a pair of centrioles. This free diagram labels 15 parts and comes unlabelled and as a numbered worksheet with an answer key.

Last updated 26 October 2026

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Labelled animal cell diagram: a rounded cell showing the plasma membrane, cytoplasm, nucleus with nucleolus and a nuclear envelope with pores, rough ER, smooth ER, Golgi apparatus, vesicles, mitochondria, lysosome, peroxisome, centrosome with two centrioles, cytoskeleton fibres and ribosomes. — Animal cell diagram by LabCanvas (labcanvas.com), CC BY 4.0

Animal cell diagram without labels — Animal cell diagram by LabCanvas (labcanvas.com), CC BY 4.0

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Parts of the animal cell and what they do

Animal cell: labelled parts
#	Part	What it is or does
1	Peroxisome	Small single-membrane organelle whose enzymes break down fatty acids and amino acids, detoxify some poisons and destroy hydrogen peroxide.
2	Mitochondrion	Double-membrane organelle that carries out cellular respiration and makes most of the cell's ATP.
3	Nucleolus	Dense region inside the nucleus where ribosomal RNA is made and ribosome subunits are assembled.
4	Nuclear envelope	Double membrane around the nucleus; nuclear pores in it control which molecules, such as RNA, pass in and out.
5	Nucleus	Holds the cell's DNA (as chromatin) and directs the making of ribosomes and proteins.
6	Rough ER	Endoplasmic reticulum studded with ribosomes; makes and modifies proteins and makes phospholipids for membranes.
7	Smooth ER	Tubular ER without ribosomes; makes lipids, carbohydrates and steroid hormones, detoxifies some chemicals and stores calcium ions.
8	Plasma membrane	Phospholipid bilayer with proteins that forms the cell's outer boundary and controls what enters and leaves.
9	Lysosome	Membrane sac of digestive enzymes that breaks down macromolecules, worn-out organelles and engulfed material.
10	Centrosome (centrioles)	Microtubule-organizing centre near the nucleus, made of two centrioles at right angles; it duplicates before cell division.
11	Cytoskeleton	Network of protein fibres (microfilaments, intermediate filaments and microtubules) that shapes the cell, holds organelles and moves things.
12	Golgi apparatus	Stack of flattened sacs that modifies, sorts and packages proteins and lipids into vesicles for delivery.
13	Vesicle	Small membrane sac that carries materials between organelles or to the plasma membrane, where it can release them outside the cell.
14	Ribosomes	Tiny particles of RNA and protein that build proteins; free in the cytoplasm or attached to the rough ER.
15	Cytoplasm	Everything between the plasma membrane and the nuclear envelope: the fluid cytosol plus the organelles in it.

How to label a animal cell diagram

Start at the edgeLabel the outer boundary as the plasma membrane and the fluid-filled space inside it, around the organelles, as the cytoplasm.
Find the nucleusLabel the large round body as the nucleus, the dark spot inside it as the nucleolus and the double outline with pores as the nuclear envelope.
Follow the endomembrane systemThe ribosome-dotted sacs curving around the nucleus are the rough ER, the smooth branching tubes are the smooth ER, and the curved stack with vesicles beside it is the Golgi apparatus.
Pick out the round organellesOvals with folded inner membranes (cristae) are mitochondria. Of the small round bodies, the one with dark enzyme dots is a lysosome, the one with a crystal-like core is a peroxisome and the small pale ones are vesicles.
Find the centrosome and fibresThe two short cylinders at right angles near the nucleus are the centrioles of the centrosome; the thin lines spreading through the cell are the cytoskeleton.
Finish with the ribosomesLabel a cluster of tiny dots as ribosomes, then check your answers against the key.

Animal cell vs plant cell

Feature	Animal cell	Plant cell
Cell wall	No	Yes, mainly cellulose
Chloroplasts	No	Yes, for photosynthesis
Vacuole	No large central vacuole	One large central vacuole
Centrosome with centrioles	Yes	No centrioles
Lysosomes	Yes	Not usually described; the central vacuole does much of the breakdown work
Links between neighbouring cells	Gap junctions (and tight junctions, desmosomes)	Plasmodesmata
Usual shape	Rounded or irregular	Fixed, often box-like
Nucleus, ER, Golgi, ribosomes, mitochondria, peroxisomes, plasma membrane, cytoskeleton	Yes	Yes

Organelles only in animal cells

Lysosomes are the cell's digestive compartments. Their enzymes work best in the acidic conditions inside the lysosome and break down proteins, polysaccharides, lipids, nucleic acids and even worn-out organelles. In plant cells, vacuoles carry out much of this breakdown.

The centrosome is a microtubule-organizing centre near the nucleus. It contains a pair of centrioles at right angles to each other, each a cylinder of nine triplets of microtubules. The centrosome duplicates before a cell divides, and the two copies move to opposite ends of the cell as the spindle forms.

Prokaryotic vs eukaryotic cells

All cells have a plasma membrane, cytoplasm, ribosomes and DNA. Prokaryotic cells (bacteria and archaea) keep their DNA in a region called the nucleoid and have no nucleus or other membrane-bound organelles. Eukaryotic cells, including animal, plant and fungal cells, have a true nucleus surrounded by a nuclear envelope and many membrane-bound organelles, and they are usually much larger.

The endomembrane system: from ER to the cell surface

The nuclear envelope, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, lysosomes and vesicles work together as the endomembrane system, which modifies, packages and moves proteins and lipids. A protein made on the rough ER is carried in a vesicle to the Golgi apparatus, which modifies and sorts it. Vesicles leaving the Golgi then deliver it to a lysosome, to the plasma membrane, or out of the cell when the vesicle fuses with the membrane.

Quick quiz

1. Which structure is found in animal cells but not in typical plant cells?

Cell wall
Chloroplast
Centrosome with centrioles
Mitochondrion

Answer: c) Centrosome with centrioles. Animal cells have a centrosome with a pair of centrioles; most plant cells have no centrioles.

2. Which organelle contains digestive enzymes?

Lysosome
Golgi apparatus
Nucleolus
Smooth ER

Answer: a) Lysosome. Lysosomes hold enzymes that break down macromolecules and worn-out organelles.

3. What makes rough ER look "rough"?

Nuclear pores
Ribosomes on its surface
Cristae
Microtubules

Answer: b) Ribosomes on its surface. Ribosomes attached to its outer surface give the rough ER its studded look.

4. Which organelle makes most of the cell's ATP?

Peroxisome
Ribosome
Mitochondrion
Vesicle

Answer: c) Mitochondrion. Mitochondria carry out cellular respiration, which makes most of the cell's ATP.

5. Where are ribosome subunits assembled?

Nucleolus
Centrosome
Lysosome
Plasma membrane

Answer: a) Nucleolus. The nucleolus makes ribosomal RNA and assembles it with proteins into ribosome subunits.

Frequently asked questions

What are the parts of an animal cell?

A typical animal cell has a plasma membrane, cytoplasm, a nucleus with a nucleolus and nuclear envelope, rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulum, a Golgi apparatus, vesicles, ribosomes, mitochondria, lysosomes, peroxisomes, a centrosome with two centrioles and a cytoskeleton.

Do animal cells have a cell wall?

No. Animal cells are bounded only by the flexible plasma membrane, which is why they are usually rounded or irregular in shape. Plant, fungal and most bacterial cells have a cell wall.

Do animal cells have chloroplasts?

No. Animal cells do not photosynthesise, so they have no chloroplasts. They get energy by breaking down food molecules in their mitochondria.

What is the function of the centrosome in an animal cell?

The centrosome is the main microtubule-organizing centre of an animal cell. It holds a pair of centrioles, duplicates before the cell divides and helps organise the microtubules that separate the chromosomes.

What does a lysosome do?

A lysosome is a membrane sac of digestive enzymes. It breaks down large molecules, worn-out organelles and material the cell has taken in, such as bacteria engulfed by white blood cells.

What is the difference between rough and smooth ER?

Rough ER has ribosomes on its surface and makes and modifies proteins. Smooth ER has no ribosomes and makes lipids, carbohydrates and steroid hormones, detoxifies some chemicals and stores calcium ions.

Do animal cells have vacuoles?

Animal cells do not have a large central vacuole like plant cells. They have smaller membrane sacs, such as vesicles and lysosomes, that store, transport and break down materials.

Sources

Facts on this page follow these introductory textbooks (OpenStax, CC BY 4.0). The diagram is a simplified illustration; organelles are not drawn to scale.