Researchers Studying the Rigidity and Flexibility of the Cell Envelope

question 60

Multiple Choice

Researchers studying the rigidity and flexibility of the cell envelope used chemotaxis to measure the ability of microbes to squeeze through tight spaces. E. coli, a gram-negative bacterium, was able to traverse narrower channels than B. subtilis, a gram-positive microbe, even though both cells are the same size when grown without restriction. E. coli has the more flexible cell envelope because

• A) lipopolysaccharide has no charge.
• B) it has fewer flagella.
• C) it has only a single membrane.
• D) there is less structural carbohydrate.
• E) there are fewer protein receptors.

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Definitions:

Atlantic World

A term used to describe the interconnected web of social, economic, and political relationships across the Atlantic Ocean, primarily between Europe, Africa, and the Americas from the late 15th to the early 19th century.

Interdependent Web

Describes a complex system where all elements are interconnected and depend on each other for survival or function.

Transatlantic Trade

The exchange of goods, services, and capital between countries across the Atlantic Ocean, historically significant for its role in the colonial and post-colonial eras.

English American Colonies

The colonial territories under British rule in North America during the 17th and 18th centuries, which were the foundation for what later became the United States.