Cell Biology Terminology—What Do We Call a Cell Lacking a Cell Wall? In laboratory and plant biology contexts, a cell that has had its cell wall removed while retaining an intact plasma membrane is termed:

Introduction / Context:
Removing the cell wall allows researchers to manipulate cells directly, fuse them, or introduce DNA and organelles more readily. The standard term varies by organism: in plants, the wall-less cell is called a protoplast; in some bacteria, partially wall-deficient forms are called spheroplasts.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The question targets the general/plant usage of the term.
• Enzymatic digestion (e.g., cellulase, pectinase) is commonly used to remove plant cell walls.
• Plasma membrane remains intact.

Concept / Approach:
A protoplast encompasses the living content of the cell bounded by the plasma membrane after the rigid wall is removed. This enables protoplast fusion, somatic hybridization, and efficient DNA uptake techniques in plant biotechnology.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Protocols in plant tissue culture routinely generate protoplasts for regeneration into whole plants under proper conditions.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Apoplast/symplast describe transport pathways, not wall removal.
• Spheroplast refers to partially wall-deficient bacterial/yeast cells, not the typical plant term.

Common Pitfalls:
Using “spheroplast” for plant cells; the accepted plant term is “protoplast.”

Final Answer:
Protoplast