Difference Between Gram-Positive and Gram-Negative Cell Walls
Parameters |
Gram-Positive Cell Wall |
Gram-Negative Cell Wall |
Thickness of the peptidoglycan layer | It is too much thick | It is thin. |
Availability of outer membrane | The outer membrane does not present. | Here outer membrane is present. |
Presence of Lipid content | Here teichoic acid and lipoteichoic acid are present. | Here lipopolysaccharide (LPS), lipoprotein, and phospholipids are present. |
Presence of Porin proteins | It is not present. | It is present in the outer membrane. |
Susceptibility to antibiotics | This is more susceptible due to the thicker peptidoglycan layer | This is less susceptible because of the outer membrane and efflux pumps. |
Toxicity | Here toxicity is less | Here toxicity is High |
Outer membrane components | Does not have any outer membrane | These are some components that are present in the outer membranes such as Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), lipoprotein, and phospholipids |
Presence of periplasmic space | very small or negligible periplasmic space is available | Large periplasmic space is available |
Ability to form endospores | There are only some species can form endospores because it is highly resistant structures. | Here can not be formed. |
Ability to lyse in a hypertonic environment | It is susceptible to lysis | It is resistant to lysis |
Presence of flagella | It may have peritrichous or polar flagella | It may also have peritrichous or polar flagella |
Difference Between Gram Positive and Gram Negative Cell Wall
Cell walls of gram-positive bacteria are thick and predominantly made of peptidoglycan. In the cell wall of gram-positive bacteria, long chains of sugars and amino acids make up the complex chemical known as peptidoglycan, which supports the bacterial cell wall structurally. Whereas, Gram-negative bacteria have a multilayered cell wall that is a complex construction. The outer membrane, of Gram-negative bacteria, is composed of proteins and lipopolysaccharides (LPS), which is the outermost layer.