what do cell walls keep out?
2006-10-06 12:18:34 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
The best way to think of cell walls (at least for me) is as a kind of cellular exoskeleton. They are strong and resilient, but really full of holes. So they serve almost no function in keeping small stuff out, though like skeletons they're great for holding the cell up, keeping it a particular shape and size, and perhaps helping to protect it from big things that want to eat it.
2006-10-06 12:28:47 · answer #1 · answered by Doctor Why 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cell walls mainly keep the cell structure up, even when the cell might by hypertonic compared to the surrounding enviroment. Normally, if there was a situation like this but the cell had no cell wall, rapid osmosis would occur until the cell could burst.
You can do some more research on cell walls on wikipedia, and just as an extra little tidbit of info, the cell walls on most bacteria is made of peptidoglycan.
2006-10-06 19:56:18 · answer #2 · answered by robertscienceguy@gmail.com 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cell walls just keep the compomnents of the cells IN. If I remember correctly, the walls are actually semi-permeable, so it does allow some things to move in and out...
2006-10-06 20:23:38 · answer #3 · answered by Leah M 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
From what i have learned in Biology, i think cell walls keep out water and other large particles from the vulnerable cell organelles.
2006-10-06 19:23:32 · answer #4 · answered by mklaks 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
they give the cell a shape,,, thats all i know of cell walls
2006-10-09 20:18:13 · answer #5 · answered by sud 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋