Bacteria have unique cell structures that can be targets for antibiotics, immunity and phage infection. List and describe the composition and characteristics of those structures that make them unique.

Peptidoglycan makes up the bacterial cell wall. Gram-positive bacteria have a thick cell wall due to the presence of a thick peptidoglycan layer. The periplasm space also contains teichoic acid. Teichoic acid's negative charge aids in the regulation of cation movement within the cell. Every bacterium has its own antigenic specificity in teichoic acid, which leads to immunogenic determination (Brown, S, 2013). Gram-negative bacteria have a low peptidoglycan layer, but a high concentration of proteases and transport proteins in the periplasmic space, as well as lipopolysaccharide, which allows the bacteria to avoid phagocytosis and complement activation (Farhana A, 2022). References: Brown, S., Santa Maria, J. P., Jr, & Walker, S. (2013). Wall teichoic acids of gram-positive bacteria. Annual review of microbiology, 67, 313–336. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-micro-092412-155620 Bertani, B., & Ruiz, N. (2018). Function and Biogenesis of Lipopolysaccharides. EcoSal Plus, 8(1), 10.1128/ecosalplus.ESP-0001-2018. https://doi.org/10.1128/ecosalplus.ESP-0001-2018.

Bacteria have unique cell structures that can be targets for antibiotics, immunity and phage infection. List and describe the composition and characteristics of those structures that make them unique.

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