Gram Positive Cell Wall Flashcards, test questions and answers

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What is Gram Positive Cell Wall?

Gram Positive Cell Wall is composed of a thick layer of peptidoglycan (also known as murein) that forms a structural support for the cell. It also provides protection from external damage and maintains the internal environment of the cell. This peptidoglycan layer is composed of alternating glycan strands held together by short peptides and cross-linked with bacterial enzymes. The thickness of this cell wall varies depending on the species, but it can range between 10 and 80 nanometers.The Gram Positive Cell Wall is important in several ways. First, it prevents osmotic lysis, meaning it helps keep water out to maintain the cell’s stability. Second, it acts as a barrier to protect against toxins or other harmful substances that could enter the cytoplasm if not blocked by this layer. Third, it provides support for proteins such as transporters and receptors to pass through into or out of the cytoplasm in order to perform their functions correctly. Finally, it serves as an attachment site for bacteria-binding molecules like those used in phagocytosis or adhesion processes between two cells during infection or colonization events in pathogenic bacteria. Gram Positive Cell Walls are also vulnerable to certain antibiotics, including penicillin which disrupts cross-bridge formation and destroys these walls altogether leaving an unprotected cytoplasm exposed to possible harm from outside agents such as antibiotics or viruses. Additionally, this wall can be disrupted by detergents which break down its components leading to leaky membranes and eventual cell death due to osmotic lysis without any antibiotic interference needed at all.