Cell Envelope and Cell Wall Quiz

Cell Walls and Envelopes

• The primary function of the cell wall in bacteria and plant cells is to provide structural support and protection.

Bacterial Cell Walls

• The major component of the bacterial cell wall is peptidoglycan.
• The Gram staining technique is used to categorize bacterial cell envelopes into Gram positive and Gram negative.

Gram Negative Bacteria

• The outermost layer of the cell envelope in Gram negative bacteria is the outer membrane.

Cell Envelope Structure

• The cell envelope or cell wall is observed in bacterial and plant cells.
• The cell envelope is located outside the cell membrane and provides structural support and protection to bacterial and plant cells.

Differences Between Gram Positive and Gram Negative Bacteria

• The major structural difference between Gram positive and Gram negative bacterial cell envelopes is the presence of a thick peptidoglycan layer in Gram positive bacteria and a thin peptidoglycan layer in Gram negative bacteria.

Unique Components of Gram Negative Bacteria

• Lipopolysaccharides are characteristic of Gram negative bacteria but not Gram positive bacteria.
• The additional component present in the cell envelope of Gram negative bacteria, but not in Gram positive bacteria, is lipopolysaccharides.

Shared Component of Bacterial and Plant Cells

• The cell wall is a common component of the cell envelope in both bacterial and plant cells.