ABSTRACT
Bacterial cell walls The peptidoglycan (protein and oligosaccharide) cell wall protects the prokaryotic cell from mechanical and osmotic pressure. Some antibiotics, such as penicillin, target enzymes involved in the synthesis of the cell wall. Gram-positive bacteria have a thick cell wall surrounding the plasma membrane, whereas Gram-negative bacteria have a thinner cell wall and an outer membrane, between which is the periplasmic space.
