What is peptidoglycan?
Peptidoglycan is a type of polymer found in the cell walls of bacteria. This polymer is responsible for the phenomenon known as a gram of dyeing, in which certain types of bacteria acquire a rich violet color when exposed to a crystalline purple dye, and serve a number of important biological functions for organisms that they close. In addition to being visually very interesting, the gram coloring process can provide important information about the structure of the bacteria examined and can be used as a key identification tool. It creates a rigid matrix that contributes to the integrity of the bacteria. While peptidoglycan cell walls do not determine the shape of the body, they will help it maintain shape and ensure that they are not endangered. In addition, they provide protection against external forces that could endanger bacteria such as antibiotic drugs.
in a gram of positive bacteria, the cell wall is made of a very thick layer of peptidoglycan, which will clearly hold the color of the gram. Gram negative bacteria have a thinner layer of peptidoglycanU, closed in the Lipid layer and flush pink when they are exposed to crystal purple. Looking at the color of the bacterium, the scientist can learn about the structure of its cell wall, which can provide a guide to identity or compounds that could be used to remove the bacteria.
In addition to the provision of basic information on the structure of the cell wall, gram stains can also be used to visualize the structure of the bacteria under the microscope. The peptidoglycan -rich organism will be highlighted by dye and creates a very detailed, sharp, high contrasting image that can be used to collect information about what the organism looks like inside. This information can be used more about how Bacteria works and collect further traces of identity of the organisms examined.
A similar compound called pseudopeptidoglycan or pseudomurein is similar to peptidoglycan in the chemical structure, but not identical. PsEudopeptidoglycan can be found in addition to peptidoglycan in the cell walls of some bacteria. This polymer resists specialized enzymes known as lysozymes that are designed to break the cell wall so that bacteria die. Bacteria that can withstand lysozymes have a better chance of resisting the attack of an active immune system that will enable the expansion of organisms.