PRCC Microbiology Practice Exam

Teichoic and lipoteichoic acids are structural components primarily associated with the cell walls of Gram-positive bacteria. These acids play crucial roles in maintaining the integrity of the cell wall and are involved in various cellular functions, including the regulation of cell wall synthesis and the maintenance of cell shape.

In Gram-positive bacteria, the cell wall consists of a thick peptidoglycan layer that contains these acids. Teichoic acids are typically found embedded within this layer and help to provide rigidity and stability. Lipoteichoic acid, on the other hand, is anchored to the cytoplasmic membrane and extends through the peptidoglycan layer, contributing to the structural integrity and functioning of the cell wall.

The presence of these acids is a distinguishing feature of Gram-positive bacteria, differentiating them from Gram-negative bacteria, which have a much thinner peptidoglycan layer and an outer membrane that generally does not contain teichoic acids. Mycoplasma, being a group of bacteria that lack a cell wall entirely, and archaea, which have distinctly different cell wall compositions, also do not produce teichoic or lipoteichoic acids. Therefore, the correct association of teichoic and lipoteichoic acids is with