Meaning & use
cell wall
A rigid outer layer surrounding the membrane of plant, fungal, and bacterial cells, providing structure and protection.
See it in a sentence
The cell wall gives plant cells their rigid, box-like shape.
Certain antibiotics work by breaking down the bacterial cell wall.
A note on using this word
Animal cells lack a cell wall, which is one key structural difference from plant and bacterial cells.
Words with a similar meaning
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