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AAT Bioquest

What are the examples of wall less bacteria?

Posted March 2, 2023


Answer

The mycoplasma species and the L-forms are two main examples of wall-less bacteria. Mycoplasma possesses a surface membrane structure in place of a cell wall. The smallest and simplest of free-living prokaryotes, mycoplasma are able to assume different forms because of the absence of a cell wall. L-form bacteria are a form of bacteria that have lost their ability to produce peptidoglycan structures, which are an essential component of the cell wall. They can arise from gram-positive, gram-negative bacterial cells, and are pleomorphic.  A membrane or exoskeleton separates them from the environment inside the cell and protects them from being digested by the cell.

Additional resources

Review of clinical aspects, epidemiology and diagnosis of haemotropic Mycoplasma ovis in small ruminants: current status and future perspectives in tropics focusing on Malaysia

Gram Staining

MycoLight™ Rapid Fluorescence Gram-Positive Bacteria Staining Kit