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

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.

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of cell wall¹

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

Removing the chitin synthase gene resulted in a thinner cell wall, which made the internal protein more accessible for digestion.

Read more on Science Daily

Radiation might knock out a piece of the cell’s DNA, change the structure of the cell wall, or alter the thickness of the fluid in the cell.

Read more on Literature

Endotoxins are fragments of bacterial cell walls that are released when bacteria die.

Read more on Science Daily

This breakthrough overcame a long-standing obstacle: the species' tough cell walls.

Read more on Science Daily

At first, police said Ojwang died after hitting his own head against the cell wall.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal