Vacuoles are found in both plant cells and animal cells. Vacuoles are larger in plant cells while animal cells have smaller but more in the numbers. Vacuoles act as a storehouse for food or of nutrients a cell needs to survive.
They also store waste products some times so the rest of the cell is protected from contamination. However, in plants, they provide support to the cell and help them to maintain shape. It increases in size with age.
