Cell and Its Structure: Cell Wall

Vocabulary flashcards covering the physical structure, layers, and composition of the plant cell wall.

Cell wall

A relatively rigid and inert covering surrounding each plant cell, situated outside the plasma membrane and located between the middle lamella and the cell membrane.

Middle lamella

The first layer of the cell wall to form, existing as a common partition between two adjacent cells whose main function is to hold them together firmly.

Phragmoplasts

Cytoplasmic structures that, together with pectin-rich vesicles from the Golgi body, form the middle lamella during the telophase stage of mitotic cell division.

Pectic acid

A chemical substance whose high presence in the middle lamella causes it to initially remain jelly-like.

Primary wall

A thin layer ($1-3\,\mu\text{m}$ thick) formed on both sides of the middle lamella by the accumulation of cellulose, hemicellulose, and glycoprotein.

Cellulose

The main component of the cell wall, present in both the primary wall and the secondary wall.

Secondary wall

A $5-10\,\mu\text{m}$ thick structure containing cellulose and lignin that consists of three layers and forms on the inner side of the primary wall in cells like tracheids and fibers after cell growth completes.

Tertiary wall

An additional wall layer that may form inside the secondary wall in rare cases.