Medical term:

pectate


wall

 [wawl]
a structure bounding or limiting a space or a definitive mass of material; called also paries.
cell wall a rigid structure that lies just outside of and is joined to the plasma membrane of plant cells and most prokaryotic cells, which protects the cell and maintains its shape.
chest wall the structures bordering the thorax that move during breathing, including the rib cage, diaphragm, and abdomen.
Miller-Keane Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health, Seventh Edition. © 2003 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.

cell wall

1. the outer layer or membrane of some animal and plant cells; in the latter, it is mainly cellulose.
2. in bacteria, the rigid structure, usually containing a peptidoglycan layer, that provides osmotic protection and defines bacterial shape and staining properties.
Farlex Partner Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012

cell wall

n.
The rigid outermost cell layer found in plants and certain algae, bacteria, and fungi but absent from animal cells.
The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2007, 2004 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

cell wall

(sel wawl)
The outer layer or membrane of some animal and plant cells; in the latter, it is mainly cellulose.
Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions and Nursing © Farlex 2012

cell wall

a thick, rigid coat formed outside the CELL MEMBRANE of plants, fungi and most bacteria. The cell wall is responsible for the shape of the organism and for protecting internal parts of the cell from damage. The plant cell wall is composed mainly of CELLULOSE secreted by the protoplasm of the cell. Structurally it consists of cellulose fibres embedded in a matrix of pectin and other polysaccharides, rather like fibreglass. Each fibre is built up from cellulose molecules which form strands called micelles. These are grouped into microfibrils, several hundred of which form a fibre. Older cells may also produce a secondary wall inside the primary wall which is thicker and contains LIGNIN for extra strength. Such cells often die after producing the secondary wall, e.g. XYLEM vessel cells.

The cell wall of BACTERIA is made of PEPTIDOGLYCAN, either alone or combined with other substances, and is used to differentiate the major types of bacteria: Gram-positive and Gram-negative (see GRAM'S STAIN). In Gram-positive bacteria, the wall generally consists of many layers of peptidoglycan, giving a very rigid structure. TEICHOIC ACIDS are also present. In Gram-negative bacteria there is a thin layer of peptidoglycan and an outer membrane. The peptidoglycan is attached to LIPOPROTEINS in the outer membrane. This membrane acts as a barrier to some ANTIBIOTICS, ENZYMES and so on; however, certain substances, such as nutrients, pass through. Part of the permeability of the membrane is due to PORINS. The ARCHAEA either lack cell walls or have unusual walls without peptidoglycan. In FUNGI a key component of most cell walls is CHITIN. The cell walls of YEASTS contain glucan and mannan. There may be additional layers, such as a CAPSULE, outside the cell wall.

Collins Dictionary of Biology, 3rd ed. © W. G. Hale, V. A. Saunders, J. P. Margham 2005

cell wall

(sel wawl)
1. Outer layer or membrane of some animal and plant cells.
2. In bacteria, the rigid structure that provides osmotic protection and defines bacterial shape and staining properties.
Medical Dictionary for the Dental Professions © Farlex 2012

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