Question

The major role of the cell wall in bacteria is protecting the cell against changes in osmotic pressure, pressure caused by different solute concentrations in the environment. Bacterial cells swell, but do not burst, in low solute concentrations. What happens to bacterial cells if a compound that interferes with the synthesis of the cell wall is added to an environment with low solute concentrations?

a) Cells burst due to increased osmotic pressure
b) Cells shrink due to decreased osmotic pressure
c) Cells maintain normal size and structure
d) Cells divide rapidly

Answer 1

If a compound interferes with cell wall synthesis in an environment with low solute concentrations, bacterial cells may burst due to the lack of structural support that prevents too much water from entering the cells.

Therefore the correct answer is option is a) Cells burst due to increased osmotic pressure

Step-by-step explanation:

The major role of the cell wall in bacteria is to protect the cell against changes in osmotic pressure, which is the pressure caused by different solute concentrations in the environment. If a compound that interferes with the synthesis of the cell wall is added to an environment with low solute concentrations, bacterial cells may burst due to the influx of water.

This is because the cell wall acts as a barrier, preventing the cell from swelling too much and ultimately bursting under hypotonic conditions, where there is a lower concentration of solutes outside the cell compared to inside. Without a functional cell wall, the bacteria are unable to resist the incoming water and can suffer osmotic lysis.