Tag: the world of microbes

In bacteria the site for respiratory activity is found in mesosomes. Mesosomes are folded invaginations in the cell membrane of bacteria. They increases the surface area required for respiration. They contain respiratory enzymes. It is the site of respiratory activity.

F-factor is also called as fertility factor. It is the sex factor of bacteria. It allows the transfers of genes from one bacterium carrying the factor to another bacterium lacking the factor by the process of conjugation. It is found in some bacteria only.

The bacterial cell wall is made up of Peptidoglycan or murein. It is a polymer that is made up of sugars and amino acids. The sugar component is made up of alternating N-acetylglucosamine (NAG) and N-acetylmuramic acid (NAM). NAM is then attached to an amino acid chain of L-alanine, D-glutamic acid, diaminopimelic acid (DAP) and D-alanine. 

Bacteria is a unicellular prokaryotic organism. It has a cell wall around the cell membrane. The bacterial cell membrane is made up of proteins and phospholipids. the proteins in are randomly distributed in the phospholipid bilayer of the cell membrane.

Some bacteria have a capsule outside cell wall. It is made up of mucopolysaccharide. The functions of mucopolysaccharide are;

• Bacterial capsule usually consists of a polysaccharide layer that lies outside the cell envelope. The capsule is found in both gram-positive and gram-negative bacterium.
• The capsule is considered as virulence factor because it enhances the ability of bacteria to cause disease. It protects the bacterial cell from engulfment by macrophages.
• Capsules also contain water which protects the bacterium from desiccation.

So, the correct answer is 'It protects the bacterium from desiccation'.