Cell Wall


 
 
Concept Explanation
 

Cell Wall

Plant cells have an additional protective wall outside the plasma membrane called cell wall. It is relatively thick, non living and rigid envelope. It is permeable and is made up of cellulose, a complex substance that provides structural strength to plants.

Functions of Cell Wall:

  • Cell wall permits the cell of plants, fungi and bacteria to withstand hypotonic conditions without bursting. In hypotonic media, the cells tend to take up water by osmosis. The cell swells up, building up pressure against the cell wall. The wall exerts an equal pressure against the swollen cell. Due to the presence of the wall, plant cells can tolerate much greater changes in surrounding medium than animal cells.
  • It has narrow pores, called pits, through which fine strands of cytoplasm called plasmodesmata are able to cross the cell walls. Plant cell interact with each other through these cytoplasmic channels.
  • It prevents drying up of cells.
  • It protects the plasma membrane and internal structure of the cell.
  • Among the eukaryotes, some protists, and all fungi and plants, have cell walls. Cell walls are not identical in these organisms. In fungi, the cell wall contains a polysaccharide called chitin.Plant cells, in contrast, have no chitin, their cell walls are composed exclusively of the polysaccharide cellulose.
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    Sample Questions
    (More Questions for each concept available in Login)
    Question : 1

    Plant cells have an additional protective wall outside the plasma membrane called ______________________ .

    Right Option : A
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    Explanation
    Question : 2

    Bacterial cell wall is composed of _________________ .

    Right Option : C
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    Explanation
    Question : 3

    Cell wall is ___________________.

    Right Option : B
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    Explanation
     
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