What is the outermost layer found in the cell envelope of the bacterial cell called?

Question

Question

This question was previously asked in

SSC CGL 2022 Tier-I Official Paper (Held On : 02 Dec 2022 Shift 3)

Answer 1

The correct answer is Glycocalyx.

Key Points

Glycocalyx:
- It is a surface layer that covers the cell membrane of many bacteria, epithelial cells or other cells.
- It is made up of proteoglycans, glycoproteins and glycolipids.
- Glycocalyx is a viscous polysaccharide or polypeptide slime that covers microbes.
- It enhances adherence to surfaces. resists phagocytic engulfment by the white blood cells.
- It prevents antibiotics from contacting the microbe.
Functions:
- It protects the cell from dehydration (capsule).
- It protects the bacterial cell from engulfment and destruction by the immune system's white blood cells (capsule).
- Glycocalyx gives the bacterial cell a sticky character which enables it to attach to surfaces.
- Glycocalyx also helps the bacterial cells to adhere to each other. This forms a bacterial aggregate that can't be engulfed by the immune cells.

Additional Information

The bacterial cell wall is made up of peptidoglycans (also known as murein), diaminopimelic acid, and teichoic acid.
All three molecules are unique to prokaryotes and not found in eukaryotes.