The presence of a cell wall, made of cellulose, on the outside of the cell membrane, is one of the characteristics that distinguishes plant from animal cells.
Bacteria and fungi also have cell walls, but they are not made of cellulose.
The functions of cell walls include structural support, protection and also some control function over materials entering and leaving the cell.
The cell walls of certain cells, such as pollen grains, may be highly specialised in structure, to aid their function: in this case, dispersal.
Anne Evans
|