Bacterial cell walls are quite rigid and can withstand a pressure of 100 atm...f

Question

Bacterial cell walls are quite rigid and can withstand a pressure of 100 atm...for real! Calculate the turgor pressure generated across a cell wall at 298K if the bacterial cytoplasm has a concentration of 0.6 M and it is immersed in a hypotonic solution of with a solute concentration 0.1 M. Assume that the cell walls are permeable to water, but not to these solutes (which are sugars, macromolecules,etc..) Will this turgor pressure be sufficient to rupture the bacterial cell walls? Note: Turgor pressure is the difference in osmotic pressure inside the cell vs outside the cell. (Useful ? Hint: R = 8.314 J/ mol K = 0.082 L atm/mol K)

Explanation / Answer

Osmotic pressure of bacterial cytoplasm = iMRT = 1 x 0.6 x 0.08206 x 298 = 14.67 atm

Osmotic pressure of solution = iMRT = 1 x 0.1 x 0.08206 x 298 = 2.44 atm

Difference in cell pressure - solution pressure = 14.67 - 2.44 = 12.23 atm

The pressure difference is much lower and hence the cell wall of bacteria would not rupture under these conditions.

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