An unknown bacterial species is recovered from a sick patient's digestive tract. It has a membrane outside the cell wall that contains toxic lipids. This observation indicates that
A) the infection should be relatively easy to control with common antibiotics, because the pathogen is a gram-positive species.
B) the infection should be relatively easy to control with common antibiotics, because the pathogen is a gram-negative species.
C) the infection may be quite threatening and difficult to control, because the pathogen is a gram-positive species.
D) the infection may be quite threatening and difficult to control, because the pathogen is a gram-negative species.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The presence of a membrane outside the cell wall that contains toxic lipids indicates that the bacterial species is a gram-negative species. Gram-negative bacteria are generally more difficult to control with antibiotics than gram-positive bacteria because their outer membrane can prevent drugs from entering the cell. Therefore, the infection may be quite threatening and difficult to control.

An Unknown Bacterial Species Is Recovered from a Sick Patient's