Cell Walls and their functions

Cell wall and functions in a Plant Cell

Biomedia report: Period 8


Buzzle.com/ 2012
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/cell-wall-function.html




Summary:

This article, posted on Buzzle.com, tells what cell walls are and their functions to the Organism/cell. A cell walls is an organelle of a cell, which is only in plant cells, and surrounds the cell membrane. This is different from an animal cell, because a plant cell has a cell wall outside of the membrane, while an animal cell has just a cell membrane on the outside. The cell wall is fromed by cell division, when the cell plate forms between the daughter cell's nuclei. There are many functions that the cell wall gives to the organism, but they have about 2 important functions. They are determining the shape of the plant, and provide strength to the cell and plant. The shape and structure of a plant cell is affected by the cell wall. The skeletal structure and bones of the human body is the same as the cell wall's function, because they shape the cell and organism. The other important function is that cell walls provide strength to the plant and cell. Although cell walls seem rigid, they are also flexible. This happens because cell fibers are sorted in alternate layers. In plants, there is a secondary cell wall which is thicker and has an additional layer of cellulose. This is the main cell wall that makes the cell rigid. So, Cell walls in a plant can provide rigidity and flexibility for the plant and cell.

Relevance:  

In class, we talked about how cell walls affect the plant and cell. We learned that cell walls shape the structure of the plant and cell, how they allow things to pass through cell, how it provides strength for a cell, etc. We also learned that they are made out of polysaccharides.  This article shows the same about cell walls, what they are and their important functions to the cell and plant.

Information:

URL: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/cell-wall-function.html
Publisher: Buzzle.com®
Author: Dr. Sumaiya Khan
Date of Publication: January 20, 2010
Researchers: Dr. Sumaiya Khan, Buzzle.com®