Question

In general, why might cell-wall inhibiting antimicrobial drugs be less effective on gram-negative bacteria compared to gram-positive bacteria?
Group of answer choices

The mutation rate of gram-negative bacteria is much greater than that of gram-positive bacteria.

The outer membrane of the gram-negative bacteria inhibits penetration of the drug.

The peptidoglycan found in gram-positive bacteria is structurally different from that in gram-negative bacteria.

The gram-negative bacteria do not synthesize peptidoglycan.

The gram-negative bacteria digest these drugs at a much higher rate than gram-positive bacteria.

Answer 1

Cell-wall inhibiting antimicrobial drugs be less effective on gram-negative bacteria compared to gram-positive bacteria because the outer membrane of the gram-negative bacteria inhibits penetration of the drug and the peptidoglycan found in gram-positive bacteria is structurally different from that in gram-negative bacteria.  

Answer: Option B & C

Explanation:

Antimicrobial drugs are induced into a body to act on that particular selective bacterium which causes disease. When antimicrobial drugs are injected they act efficiently on the gram positive bacteria inhibiting the proliferation of the cells by acting on the cell wall so that cell multiplication doesn’t happen.

On the other hand it is hard to act on the gram-negative bacteria as it has a cell membrane that inhibits drug penetration into it. Both cell walls contain peptidoglycan but in the gram-positive is more assembled and layered while in the gram-negative it is just a thin layer. As gram-positive is thick layered it provides place for another molecule to attach to it but the thin layer in gram-negative inhibits it.