Prokaryotic Cell Structure: The Cell Wall and Peptidoglycan

Learning Objectives for "Prokaryotic Cell Structure: The Peptidoglycan Cell Wall"

After completing this section you should be able to perform the following objectives.

1. State the 3 parts of a peptidoglycan monomer and state the function of peptidoglycan in bacteria.

2.* Briefly describe how bacteria synthesize peptidoglycan, indicating the roles of autolysins, bactoprenols, transglycosidases, and transpeptidases.

3. State what makes peptidoglycan so strong.

4. Briefly describe how antibiotics such as penicillins, cephalosporins, and vancomycin affect bacteria and relate this to their cell wall synthesis.

5. State what color gram-positive bacteria stain after gram staining.

6. State what color gram-negative bacteria stain after gram staining.

7. State what color acid-fast bacteria stain after adid-fast staining.

(*) or (**) = possible discussion question