Question

1. what surrounds a cell and separates it from its environment?
2. what is the difference

Explanation:

In biology, the structure that surrounds a cell and separates it from its environment is the cell membrane (also known as the plasma membrane). The cell membrane is a selectively permeable barrier that controls the movement of substances in and out of the cell, maintaining the cell's internal environment and protecting it from the external surroundings. For plant cells, there is also a cell wall outside the cell membrane, but the cell membrane is the primary structure that separates the cell's interior from the external environment in all cells (and the cell wall in plants provides additional support and protection but is more of a rigid structure outside the cell membrane in plant cells, fungi, and some bacteria).

Answer:

The cell membrane (plasma membrane) surrounds a cell and separates it from its environment. (In plant cells, there is also a cell wall outside the cell membrane, but the cell membrane is the main structure for separation from the environment.)