A
vacuole is a
membrane-bound
organelle which is present in all
plant and
fungal cells and some
protist,
animal and
bacterial cells. Vacuoles are essentially enclosed compartments which are filled with water containing inorganic and organic molecules including
enzymes in
solution, though in certain cases they may contain solids which have been engulfed. Vacuoles are formed by the fusion of multiple membrane
vesicles and are effectively just larger forms of these. The organelle has no basic shape or size; its structure varies according to the needs of the cell.