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What holds the cells of a biofilm together?
AA rigid shell of peptidoglycan plates
BInterlocking flagella between the cells
CA gummy matrix of secreted polysaccharides
DStrands of chromosomal DNA and free ribosomes
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: C. A gummy matrix of secreted polysaccharides
1. A biofilm is a microbial community that grows attached to a surface.
2. Its cells are held in a gummy-textured matrix made mostly of polysaccharides the organisms secrete.
3. Some proteins and nucleic acids are present in that matrix as well.
4. Peptidoglycan builds the wall of a single cell and forms no community-wide shell.
_Source: OpenStax Biology (1st ed., CC BY 4.0), Ch 22 "Prokaryotes: Bacteria and Archaea", section 22.1 Prokaryotic Diversity_
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