Collegedunia Team Content Curator
Content Curator
Cell Wall and Cell Membrane form the outermost layer of a cell. A cell plays an important role in human life and also makes the body of humans work. The term cell was invented by the English scientist Mr. Robert Hooke in the year. However, the size and shape of the cells vary according to their functions and compositions. There are different types of cells and can be differentiated based on the presence and absence of few cell organelles.
What is Cell Wall?
Cell wall is present in plants, fungi, and bacteria, Also it's present outside the cell membrane. However, the cell wall is flexible, and rigid in its texture. It is mainly composed of cellulose, long fibers of carbohydrates including hemicellulose, lignin, and pectin.
Cell Wall Diagram
Functions of Cell Wall
The functions of a cell wall are elaborated below:
- Helps to protect the cell against physical damage.
- The cell wall regulates and controls the direction of cell growth.
- Provide the structure support, structure strength and helps to maintain the shape of the cell.
- Work as storage, by storing units of carbohydrates that are used in plant growth.
- Allows entry of smaller molecules.
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What is Cell Membrane?
Cell Membrane is also known as the plasma membrane, present in all organisms including plants. The cell membrane helps to cover the outermost animal cells.
Cell Membrane
Functions of Cell Membrane
Functions of Cell Membrane are mentioned below:
- Helps to protect the integrity of the interior cell.
- Helps to maintain the shape of the cell and provides support also.
- Helps in regulating cell growth by balancing the endocytosis and exocytosis.
- Helps to provide cell signaling and communication.
- It allows the entry of only selected substances into the cell.
Difference Between Cell Wall and Cell Membrane
Key differences between Cell Wall and Cell Membrane have been tabulated below:
| Cell Wall | Cell Membrane |
|---|---|
| Cell wall present in plants and some fungi, bacteria, and algae | Cell membranes are present in all types of cells, including humans, animals, bacteria, and plants, etc. |
| The cell wall is the outermost part of the plant cell | The cell membrane is the outermost part of the animal cell |
| The cell wall is made up of pectin, chitin, glycolipids, cellulose, lignin, glycoproteins, and sugar. | The cell membrane is made up of lipoproteins and carbohydrates. |
| The size of the cell wall is 0.1 μm to several μm in thickness | The size of the cell membrane is 7.5–10 mm in thickness |
| It is metabolically inactive | It is metabolically active. |
| It helps to protect the cell from external environmental damage. | It helps to protect as well as maintains the internal environment of the cell |
| The cell wall is a thick and rigid structure with a fixed shape. | The cell membrane is a thin and delicate structure. Also, it is flexible to change the shape whenever needed. |
Things to Remember
- Cell walls are present in plants, fungi, and in some bacteria and cell membranes present in all types of cells, inducing humans, animals, bacteria, and plants, etc.
- The cell wall is the outermost part of the plant cell and the cell membrane is the outermost part of the animal cell.
- The structure of the cell wall is fixed but the cell membrane can be changed as per the requirements.
- Cell wall helps to protect from the external environment.
- Cell membrane helps to protect from the internal environment.
- The cell wall and cell membrane are the two important parts of living organisms. However, cell walls are found only in plants, fungi, and in some bacteria and cell membranes present in all types of cells, inducing humans, animals, bacteria, and plants, etc. Also, the cell wall is made from a material called chitin, which is also found in the exoskeletons of arthropods. Unlike the cell wall, the cell membrane is flexible and its shape can be changed as per the requirements.
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Sample Questions
Ques. What is a cell wall? (1 Mark)
Ans. Cell walls are important parts of living organisms. However, it is found only in plants, fungi, and some bacteria.
Ques. What is the basic difference between the cell walls and cell membranes? (1 Mark)
Ans. The basic difference between the cell wall and the cell membrane is that the cell membrane is found in all types of cells like animals, bacteria, humans, and plants whereas the cell wall is found only in plants and some bacteria.
Ques. What are the important functions of the cell wall? (1 Mark)
Ans. Cell wall helps to protect the cell against physical damage. Also, it helps to regulate and control the direction of cell growth and allows the entry of smaller molecules.
Ques. What do you understand by the term cell membrane? (1 Mark)
Ans. The cell membrane is an important part of living organisms. However, cell membranes are present in all types of cells, inducing humans, animals, bacteria, and plants, etc.
Ques. What is the shape of the cell wall? (1 Mark)
Ans. The Cell wall is thick in shape also it is a rigid structure with a fixed shape.
Ques. What is the size of cell membranes? (1 Mark)
Ans. The size of the cell membrane is 7.5–10 mm in thickness
Ques. How did cell membranes help to protect the plants? (1 Mark)
Ans. The cell membrane is a thin and delicate structure. Also, it is flexible to change the shape whenever needed.
Ques. What are the important functions of cell membranes? (1 Mark)
Ans. The cell membrane helps to protect the integrity of the interior cell and maintain the shape of the cell and provides support. Also, the cell membrane helps in regulating cell growth by balancing endocytosis and exocytosis.
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