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cell wall

[ sel wawl ]

noun

Biology.
  1. the definite boundary or wall that is part of the outer structure of certain cells, as a plant cell.


cell wall

noun

  1. the outer layer of a cell, esp the structure in plant cells that consists of cellulose, lignin, etc, and gives mechanical support to the cell
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

cell wall

  1. The outermost layer of cells in plants, bacteria, fungi, and many algae that gives shape to the cell and protects it from infection. In plants, the cell wall is made up mostly of cellulose, determines tissue texture, and often is crucial to cell function.
  2. Compare cell membrane

cell wall

  1. The rigid outer covering of a typical plant cell , composed mainly of cellulose and lying outside the cell membrane . Animal cells do not have cell walls.
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Notes

It is the cell walls that give plant stems and wood their stiffness.
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Word History and Origins

Origin of cell wall1

First recorded in 1840–50
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