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- Word comparison: cell wall vs. cell membrane
cell wall vs. cell membrane
cell wall vs. cell membrane: What's the difference?
While every cell has a cell membrane, not every cell has a cell wall. The cell membrane is a living, selectively permeable barrier that encloses the cell substance or cytoplasm. The cell wall is a more rigid, nonliving, permeable outer structure that certain cells, such as plant cells, have to protect the cell membrane.
noun
Biology.
the definite boundary or wall that is part of the outer structure of certain cells, as a plant cell.
noun
Biology.
the semipermeable membrane enclosing the cytoplasm of a cell.