Cell Wall: Structure and Function

The study of living beings is referred to as biology. Their diversity was highlighted by the comprehensive explanation of their form and looks. The cell theory highlights the unity that lies beneath this diversity of forms, namely the cellular organization of all living things.

A cell is a unit of protoplasm that is connected by plasma or cell membrane and has a nucleus. The cytoplasm and nucleus are both made up of protoplasm, which is the sole component. Mitochondria, golgi bodies, ribosomes, endoplasmic reticulum, plastids and lysosomes are all organelles found in the cytoplasm.

Plant cells feature enormous vacuoles in their cytoplasm that store non-living elements such as minerals and pigments. There are no distinct cell organelles and a very well nucleus in the bacteria. In most of the other organisms, therefore, each cell has three key elements: the cytoplasm, plasma membrane and DNA, which are all contained by a nuclear membrane.

Cell wall:

Different types of cells, chemical compositions and traits can be discovered based on their lifestyle. One of these crucial properties is the cell wall. The non-living layer that covers the outermost is the cell wall. Its composition is determined by the organism, although in natural situations, it is permeable. The cell wall is the barrier that divides the cell’s interior from its surroundings. It gives cells and organelles structure and support. Only eukaryotic plants and fungi have this cellular component.

Structure of cell wall:

1. While the cell wall may have other chemical substances such as pectin and lignin, in most plants it is mostly made up of cellulose.
2. It can be as thin as 1 micron and transparent as in the onion peel cells. In some cases, it is very thick, as in wood cells.
3. The outermost non-living layer present in all plant cells is secreted by the cell itself.
4. Algae have a cell wall made of cellulose, Galatians, mannans, and minerals like calcium carbonate, while in other plants, it consists of cellulose, hemicellulose, pectins and proteins.
5. The cell wall of a young plant cell, the primary wall, is capable of growth, which gradually diminishes as the cell matures, and the secondary wall is formed on the inner (towards membrane) side of the cell.
6. The substance constituting the cell wall is not simply homogeneous but consists of fine threads or fibers called microfibrils.
7. The middle lamella is a calcium pectate-based layer that binds or glues the surrounding cells around each other.

The functions of the cell wall: 

The function of the cell wall is as follows:

1. The cell wall of fungi and plants is made up of a non-living stiff component that serves as an exterior coating for the plasma membrane.
2. The delicate interior portions of the cell are protected by the cell wall.
3. The cell wall not only affects cell structure and safeguards this from mechanical injury and invasion, but it also aids cell-to-cell communication and acts as a barrier to unwanted biomolecules.
4. Plasmodesmata, which interconnect the cytoplasm of neighboring cells, can pass through the cell wall and middle lamellae.
5. It permits water and other substances to flow to and from the cells readily.
6. The cytoplasm of one cell remains connected to the cytoplasm of the other due to breaches in the primary walls of neighboring cells.
7. Plasmodesmata are cytoplasmic threads that connect one cell to another.
8. Because it is stiff, it prevents the cell from dispensing, resulting in turbidity, which is beneficial in many ways.