Difference between Cell Wall and Cell Membrane
The fundamental difference between Cell Wall and Cell Membrane is super simple. The cell wall is present in the plant cells while the cell membrane is present in the animal cells.
is not it simple? I guess You said yes.
is it too brief? no problem just stick with it and You will get into interesting details.
A living cell is the basic and fundamental unit of life, that make up the whole living organisms. Cells join together to make tissue and tissues join together to make an organ and similar organs to the whole organism.
A single cell is holding many organelles inside. If You look at the inner structure of a cell at the microscopic level, You probably get surprised how super complex it is.
Let us come to our main topic which is the Difference between Cell Wall and Cell Membrane.
Difference between Cell Wall and Cell Membrane in tabular form:
| Cell Wall | Cell Membrane | |
| 1.
|
It is a natural protection from the external environment. | It is natural protection too but it also maintains the cell’s internal environment. |
| 2. | It possesses elasticity. | It is non-elastic |
| 3. | It is metabolically inactive and lacks receptors. | It is metabolically active and possesses receptors on the surface which receives signals from the external chemicals (medicine). |
| 4. | It is present only on the cells of plants, bacteria, algae, and some fungi. | It can be present in all types of cells in humans, animals, plants, and bacteria. |
| 5. | It is a non- living part of the cell and it is not considered as an organelle of the cell. | It is a living part of the cell and considered a cell organelle. |
| 6. | It is composed of sugar, cellulose, protein, lignin, pectin, chitin, glycol, and glycolipids. | It is generally a lipid-bilayer which is mainly composed of lipoproteins and carbohydrates. |
| 7. | Its thickness was recorded in between 20-80 nm. | Its thickness is 7.5-10 nm |
| 8. | It possesses a thick and rigid structure with a fixed shape. | It owns a delicate and flexible structure that can change its shape. |
| 9. | It keeps growing in its thickness | It remains in the same shape during the whole life-span. |
| 10. | It allows only substances having the size of 30-60 KD (kilo-Dalton) so-called semi-permeable membrane. | It is selectively-permeable which allows substances and water selectively to move inside and outside the cell stream. |
