What is the difference between plasma membrane and cell wall

Some of them are discussed below. Plasma Membrane is a thin layer, sized nm, secures the interior of a cell from extracellular space. Cell wall is the rigid outermost layer of a cell, sized um. It supports the cell to continue its inner mechanism. In some plants, it consists of three layers. Plasma membrane is present in all kinds of cells. Cell wall is present exclusively in plant, bacteria, fungi, algae cells. Plasma membrane is thin and is visible only under an electron microscope.

The hard Cell wall is visible through a light microscope. While plasma membrane is made up of lipids, proteins and carbohydrate, Cell wall consists of chitin fungi , cellulose plants and peptidoglycan bacteria. Type of organism. Cell wall is non-living and inactive, whereas plasma membrane is living and metabolically active. Another difference between plasma membrane and cell wall is that the former contains receptors; however; the latter one does not contain any receptors.

Presence Plasma Membrane is present in all types of cells. Cell Wall is present in the plant cell, bacteria, fungi and algae. Composition Made up of lipids and proteins and carbohydrates. Made up of cellulose plant cell , chitin fungi , and peptidoglycan bacteria. Structure Thin layers and is visible only through the electron microscope.

Thick layers which are visible through the light microscope. Permeability Semi-permeable. Completely permeable. Receptors Plasma membrane have receptors, helps in cell-cell communication. Cell wall does not have receptors. Metabolic function Metabolically active and living. Inactive and non-living. Thickness Same thickness throughout its life. Thickness grows with life. Nutrition Need proper nutrition to survive. Doesn't need any nutrition from cell but deposition instead.

Functions 1. Protects protoplasm. It separates the components present inside to outside environment. The phospholipids also contain embedded proteins that do allow certain objects, such as nutrients to enter and waste to exit the cell, as and when required. Furthermore, cell membranes are also involved in conduction, cell-to-cell communication and cell signaling. The cell membrane also participates in phagocytosis cell eating and pinocytosis cell drinking , by allowing what can and cannot enter the cell to be eaten or drunk.

The cell membrane also plays an active part in communicating with other cells to identify cells that might die soon. Additionally, it is the cell membrane that allows one cell to stick to another, which sticks to another, and hence form groups of cells, also known as tissues. The cell wall, on the other hand, is not found animal cells or in protozoa.

Cell walls are only present in plant cells, as well as in bacteria, fungi, algae, and some archaea. The cell wall is an integral part of these cells as it is essentially what its name suggests, a wall surrounding the cell.

The cell wall is a tough layer, which may be rigid or flexible depending on the type, and surrounds the entire cell. The cell wall resides outside of the cell membrane. In plants, the cell wall is made up of cellulose, whereas in bacteria, fungi, algae, and archaea, the cell walls are made up of peptidoglycan, glucosamine polymer chitin, glycoproteins and polysaccharides, and of glycoprotein S-layers, pseudopeptidoglycan, or polysaccharides, respectively.

The main purpose of a cell wall is to provide protection and shape to a cell. The cell wall gives the cell rigidity, which allows the cells to hold their shape even under pressure, and especially when there is a lack of or excess of water in the cell.