The difference in cell wall structure of Mycobacterium and Nocardia compared to the typical gram-positive bacterial cell wall structure is
A)the presence of more peptidoglycan.
B)the predominance of unique, waxy lipids.
C)the rapid decolorization during staining.
D)the presence of lipopolysaccharide.
E)All of these choices are correct.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The main difference in cell wall structure of Mycobacterium and Nocardia compared to typical gram-positive bacteria is the predominance of unique, waxy lipids in their cell wall, such as mycolic acids. They also contain less peptidoglycan and do not have lipopolysaccharide, but these differences alone are not enough to distinguish them from gram-positive bacteria. Both Mycobacterium and Nocardia also stain poorly with typical gram staining methods and require special staining techniques such as acid-fast staining.

The Difference in Cell Wall Structure of Mycobacterium and Nocardia