Why do plant cells have large vacuoles but animal cells have small ones?

In plant cells the central vacuole is large because it does important jobs. It stores cell sap, which contains water, sugars, salts and pigments, and it stays filled to push against the cell wall. This creates turgor pressure, which keeps the plant cell firm and helps non-woody parts like leaves and stems stay upright. The rigid cell wall safely supports this pressure. Animal cells have no cell wall, so a huge water-filled vacuole would swell and burst the delicate cell membrane. Animals instead maintain water balance through other systems like kidneys, so they only need small, temporary vacuoles for storage or transport. This is why plant cells show one large permanent vacuole while animal cells have several small ones, or sometimes none at all.