Gram-positive bacteria

Gram-positive bacteria are a type of bacteria that are classified by the color they turn after a chemical called Gram stain is applied to them. Gram-positive bacteria turn blue when this stain is applied, while Gram-negative bacteria do not.

Characteristics[edit | edit source]

Gram-positive bacteria have a thick cell wall that is rich in peptidoglycan. This cell wall is responsible for the bacteria's ability to retain the Gram stain. In addition to the cell wall, some Gram-positive bacteria have a layer of polysaccharide or teichoic acid on their surface.

Types of Gram-positive bacteria[edit | edit source]

There are many types of Gram-positive bacteria, including:

Diseases caused by Gram-positive bacteria[edit | edit source]

Gram-positive bacteria can cause a variety of diseases, including:

Staphylococcus aureus can cause skin infections, pneumonia, and food poisoning.
Streptococcus pneumoniae can cause pneumonia, meningitis, and otitis media.
Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium can cause urinary tract infections, bacteremia, and endocarditis.
Listeria monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, a serious infection usually caused by eating food contaminated with the bacteria.
Bacillus anthracis causes anthrax, a rare but serious illness.
Clostridium difficile causes infections that can range from diarrhea to life-threatening inflammation of the colon.

Treatment[edit | edit source]

Gram-positive bacteria are usually sensitive to penicillin and other beta-lactam antibiotics. However, some Gram-positive bacteria have developed resistance to these antibiotics, making treatment more difficult.

See also[edit | edit source]

Gram-positive bacteria Resources
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