Plant Cell Walls in Growth and Support

Plant cell walls help plant cells keep their shape, stay protected, and remain supported. As a cell matures, its wall can change based on the cell type. Parenchyma cells in leaves usually have only a thin primary cell wall. These walls are part of how different plant cells take on different jobs.

A plant cell has a cell wall, a rigid structure located outside the plasma membrane that surrounds the cell. The cell wall helps support and protect the cell, maintains its shape, and prevents excessive expansion of the cell when water enters.

Plant cell walls can have up to three layers—the middle lamella, the primary cell wall, an...