Bacteria are a commonly used organism for studies of genetic material in the research laboratory. The nucleic acids must first be isolated from the cells for these studies. Which of the following would most likely be used to lyse the bacterial cells for nucleic acid isolation?
A) alcohol
B) mycolic acid
C) polymixins
D) lysozyme
E) water

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Lysozyme is an enzyme that breaks down the peptidoglycan layer of bacterial cell walls, making it an effective choice for lysing bacterial cells and releasing their nucleic acids for isolation. Alcohol and water are not effective for lysing cells, while mycolic acid and polymixins are not commonly used for nucleic acid isolation.

Bacteria Are a Commonly Used Organism for Studies of Genetic