Penicillin kills many bacteria by stopping them from building their cell wall.
Contributed by StemPy LabTry it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
Penicillin kills many bacteria by stopping them from building their cell wall. A doctor finds that a lung infection is caused by a Mycoplasma. Will penicillin help? Give the reason, and name two other features of Mycoplasma.
Need a reminder? The key ideaShow
Cyanobacteria are photosynthetic autotrophs; some, such as Nostoc and Anabaena, fix nitrogen in heterocysts. Chemosynthetic bacteria oxidise inorganic substances (nitrates, nitrites, ammonia) for energy and recycle nutrients. Heterotrophic bacteria are the most abundant: decomposers, makers of curd and antibiotics, nitrogen fixers in legume roots, and pathogens (cholera, typhoid, tetanus, citrus canker). Mycoplasma are the smallest cells and have no cell wall.
The worked solution
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. How penicillin works. It stops the building of the cell wall, so the cell bursts.
Step 2. Mycoplasma. It has no cell wall at all, so penicillin has nothing to attack.
Step 3. Other features. Mycoplasma are the smallest living cells known, and they can survive without oxygen.
Answer: no; Mycoplasma has no cell wall. It is the smallest known cell, and it can live without oxygen.
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