A rigid structural layer surrounding plant cells, composed primarily of cellulose, that provides protection, structural support, and shape to the cell. It distinguishes plant cells from animal cells and allows plants to maintain turgor pressure.
From Latin 'cella' meaning 'small room' and Old English 'weall' meaning 'rampart' or 'barrier.' The term was first used by Robert Hooke in 1665 when he observed the box-like structures in cork tissue, though he was actually seeing the walls of dead cells.
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