Prescott's Microbiology
Prescott's Microbiology
10th Edition
ISBN: 9781259281594
Author: Joanne Willey, Linda Sherwood Adjunt Professor Lecturer, Christopher J. Woolverton Professor
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education
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Chapter 4, Problem 1CHI

Compare, Hypothesize, Invent

1. Archaea with cell walls consisting of a thick, homogeneous layer of complex polysaccharides often retain crystal violet dye when stained using the Gram-staining procedure. Suggest a reason for this staining reaction.

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Summary Introduction

Archaea and bacteria are referred to as prokaryotic unicellular organisms. Both organisms lacks membrane-bound organelles and nucleus. The plasma membranes of archaea are made up of strikingly different lipids compared to those present in the plasma membranes of bacteria. The bacterial plasma membrane is comprised of ester-linked phospholipids like hapanoids and sterols, whereas the archaeal plasma membrane is comprised of diether glycerol or tetraether glycerol.

Explanation of Solution

The cell wall of archaea is made up of complex polysaccharides and proteins but lacks a peptidoglycan. In certain members of archaea, the slime layer (S-layer) is act as the outermost layer, which is separated from the plasma membrane through a peptidoglycan-like molecule known as pseudomurein. The pseudomurein is also known as pseudopeptidoglycan.

During, Gram-staining procedures, the archaea cell wall retains the crystal violet dye. This is because, in Gram-positive bacteria, it is believed that the crystal violet-iodine complex is trapped in the peptidoglycan layer. Logically, a thick layer of complex polysaccharides in archaea that is closely resembles a peptidoglycan layer would trap the crystal violet-iodine complex too.

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Archaea; Author: Bozeman Science;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W25nI9kpxtU;License: Standard youtube license