CELL WALL AND EXTRACELLULAR MATRIX The extracellular matrix is ​​a network of non-living tissues that support the structure of the cell, similar to the cell wall in plants. It is the extracellular matrix that forms the structure that ultimately determines the architectural structure of plants and animals (textbook). Due to its dynamic nature, the ECM has multiple functions that include cell adhesion, cell-to-cell communication and. Plant and animal cells secrete macromolecules that form extracellular matrices. In animals, cells are anchored in an extracellular matrix composed of tough fibrous proteins. (collagen, laminin and elastin) which are embedded in a gelatinous substance of polysaccharides called glycosaminoglycans. The ECM is a mesh-like structure that surrounds the spaces between cells and binds cell tissues together. A molecule known as integrins, found on the surface of essentially all animal cells, is responsible for connecting cells to the extracellular membrane. The extracellular membrane is composed of an adhesion protein fibronectin that binds matix ...