Difference between cell wall and plasma …

1. Definition

Plasma Membrane is a thin layer, sized 5-10 nm, secures the interior of a cell from extracellular space. 

Cell wall is the rigid outermost layer of a cell, sized 4-20 um. It supports the cell to continue its inner mechanism. In some plants, it consists of three layers.  

1. Presence 

Plasma membrane is present in all kinds of cells. Cell wall is present exclusively in plant, bacteria, fungi, algae cells. 

1. Structure

Plasma membrane is thin and is visible only under an electron microscope. The hard Cell wall is visible through a light microscope. 

1. Composition 

While plasma membrane is made up of lipids, proteins and carbohydrate, Cell wall consists of chitin (fungi), cellulose (plants) and peptidoglycan (bacteria)

1. Type of organism 

Cell wall is non-living and inactive, whereas plasma membrane is living and metabolically active. 

1. Receptors

Another difference between plasma membrane and cell wall is that the former contains receptors; however; the latter one does not contain any receptors. 

1. Nutrition

The former one requires nutrition to survive, but the latter one does not need nutrition, rather deposition from cell organelles. 

1. Texture

Thickness of plasma membrane or cell membrane remains unchanged throughout its life. In case of a cell wall, it grows with time.