Which one of the following statements about animal cells and plant cells is correct?

The fundamental structural difference between animal and plant cells lies in their outer boundaries. Animal cells are enclosed only by a flexible, semi-permeable cell membrane (plasma membrane) and lack a rigid cell wall [1][5]. In contrast, plant cells possess both a cell membrane and an additional, rigid outer layer known as the cell wall [2][4]. The plant cell wall, primarily composed of cellulose, provides structural support, rigidity, and protection, helping the plant maintain its shape [4][5]. While the cell membrane is present in all living cells to regulate the entry and exit of materials, the cell wall is a distinguishing feature of plants, fungi, and some microorganisms, but is never found in animal cells [1][5]. Therefore, statement 2 is correct as it accurately identifies that animal cells have only a membrane while plant cells have both structures.

Sources

1. [1] Science ,Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: The Invisible Living World: Beyond Our Naked Eye > 2.5 Why Is Cell Considered to Be a Basic Unit of Life? > p. 24
2. [5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK9874/
3. [2] Science ,Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: The Invisible Living World: Beyond Our Naked Eye > Activity 2.3: Let us investigate > p. 12
4. [4] https://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/plant-cells-chloroplasts-and-cell-walls-14053956/