Question

Cell wall is mainly made up of?

Answer 1

The cells mainly are of two types prokaryotic cells and eukaryotic cells. In the prokaryotic cells, the cell wall present between the glycocalyx and in eukaryotes like protists, fungi, algae and plants the glycocalyx is absent and this cell wall is a specialised form of extracellular matrix.

Complete Answer:
The composition of the cell wall in prokaryotes and eukaryotes are different. In prokaryotes, the cell wall is present below the glycocalyx and chemically it consists of peptidoglycan and murein. It consists of a long glycan strand of N- acetyl muramic acid and N-acetyl glucosamine which cross-linked by peptide chain and provides a strong and flexible framework to the cell.
In eukaryotic cells protists, algae, fungi and plants consist of the cell wall. In fungi, the cell wall has a thick layer of polysaccharide fibres made up of chitin or cellulose with the outer layer of glycans. In algae, the cell wall consists of cellulose, galactans, mannans and calcium carbonate minerals. In plants, the cell wall is made up of polysaccharides like pectin, lignin and hemicellulose with the presence of cellulose. The cell wall is divided into the primary wall, middle lamella and secondary wall, in which the middle lamella consists of calcium magnesium, the primary wall consist of cellulose microfibrils and the secondary wall consist of lignin and suberin deposition.

Note:
In higher plants, the cell wall consists of extra substances in the form of cutin, suberin, xylem silica, minerals, waxes, tannins, resins and gums.
In the cell wall, the plasmodesmata and pits help in the passage of cell substances from one cell to another.