Essay on Bacterial Cell Wall Composition

Almost all bacteria have cell walls surrounding the cell membranes. This cell wall helps to do important functions, like confer cell shape, and protect the cell from lysis when in low solute environments. There are three classifications used in describing cell walls: Gram Positive (Gram+), Gram Negative (Gram-) and Acid-Fast. These membranes share a common part in their structure, however--an interlocked layer of peptidoglycan. Peptidoglycan is a molecular complex made from two sugar monomers: N-acetylmuramic acid (NAM) and N-acetylglucosamine (NAG).…