Which statement about Mycoplasma is true?

Which statement about Mycoplasma is true?

• A. They lack a cell wall.
• B. They have a thick cell wall.
• C. They are viruses.
• D. They are obligate intracellular parasites.

Answer: (A)

Mycoplasma lack a cell wall, which is what sets them apart from most bacteria. Without a peptidoglycan wall, they are pleomorphic and cannot be targeted by antibiotics that disrupt cell wall synthesis, like beta-lactams. Their membrane instead contains cholesterol, which helps stabilize the cell. This absence also means they don’t stain reliably with the usual Gram stain, often appearing Gram-indeterminate. They are bacteria, not viruses, and they are not obligate intracellular parasites; they can live outside cells under the right conditions, though they commonly parasitize mucosal surfaces. So, the statement that they lack a cell wall is true.

Mycoplasma lack a cell wall, which is what sets them apart from most bacteria. Without a peptidoglycan wall, they are pleomorphic and cannot be targeted by antibiotics that disrupt cell wall synthesis, like beta-lactams. Their membrane instead contains cholesterol, which helps stabilize the cell. This absence also means they don’t stain reliably with the usual Gram stain, often appearing Gram-indeterminate. They are bacteria, not viruses, and they are not obligate intracellular parasites; they can live outside cells under the right conditions, though they commonly parasitize mucosal surfaces. So, the statement that they lack a cell wall is true.