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AAT Bioquest

Can bacteria survive without a cell wall?

Posted March 2, 2023


Answer

Yes, bacteria can survive without a cell wall. Wall-less species of bacteria possess unusually tough cytoplasmic membranes to compensate for the lack of a cell wall. Moreover, many of these bacteria reside in osmotically controlled environments of host cells. Both of these factors help bacteria to survive even without a cell wall.

Additional resources

Cell-Wall Recycling of the Gram-Negative Bacteria and the Nexus to Antibiotic Resistance

Gram Staining

MycoLight™ Rapid Fluorescence Gram-Positive Bacteria Staining Kit