The cell wall and cell membrane are components of a cell. The main difference between the cell wall and the cell membrane is that the cell membrane is present in all cells, but the cell wall is only present in plants, bacteria, fungi, and algae. It is not present in protozoa and the animal cell. The cell wall covers the cell membrane, which is a partially permeable membrane.
The cell membrane is also known as plasma membrane or plasma, the cell wall is not.
The cell membrane is found in animal cells and the cell wall in plant cells.
The cell wall covers the cell membrane and forms the outer covering.
The cell membrane is partially permeable, but the cell wall is completely permeable.
The cell membrane does not contain cellulose, the cell wall does.
The cell wall is elastic, the cell membrane is not.
The cell wall controls the turgor of a cell, the plasma membrane does not.
The cell wall composed of peptidoglycan is present in a bacterium.
The cell wall composed of chitin is present in fungi.
The cell wall is metabolically inactive but the cell membrane is metabolically active.
The cell wall protects the shape of the cell and maintains it, while the cell membrane protects the cytoplasm and osmotic balance in a cell.
Difference between Cell wall and Cell membrane in Tabular form
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CELL WALL |
CELL MEMBRANE |
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| 1. | It is present in plants only. Bacteria also have cell walls. | 1. | Animals do not have cell walls. |
| 2. | The cell wall is the outermost boundary of plant cells. The cell membrane is inside the cell wall in plants. | 2. | It is the outermost boundary of the animal cells. |
| 3. | Cell walls are permeable. | 3. | Cell membranes are selectively permeable. |
| 4. | Cell walls are largely made up of cellulose. | 4. | Cell membranes are largely made up of lipids and proteins. |
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