Question

9. What is the difference between plasma membrane and cell wall?

Answer 1

Plasma membrane and cell wall are not the same thing. Plasma membrane, also called cell membrane, is the outer membrane common to all living cells and it is made of a phospholipid bilayer, embedded proteins and some appended carbohydrates.

Because cell membranes are fragile, in some types of cells there are even outer structures that support and protect the membrane, like the cellulose wall of plant cells and the chitin wall of some fungi cells. Most bacteria also present an outer cell wall made of peptidoglycans and other organic substances.