Cell Wall Composition Differences

Steps:

• Identify bacterial cell wall: composed of peptidoglycan, a polymer of amino sugars with peptide cross-links.
• Identify plant cell wall: composed of cellulose, a polymer of β-D-glucose units linked by β-1,4-glycosidic bonds.
• Compare options: match bacterial to peptidoglycan and plant to β-glucose polymer.
• Select option aligning both accurately without errors in sugar type or linkage.

Why D is correct:

• Bacterial walls are defined by peptidoglycan (alternating N-acetylglucosamine and N-acetylmuramic acid with peptides); plant walls are cellulose, a linear polymer of β-D-glucose per the β-1,4 linkage formula.

Why the others are wrong:

• A: Bacterial walls are not α-glucose polymers (that's starch/glycogen in eukaryotes).
• B: Plant walls are specifically β-glucose polymers, not vaguely "D-sugars"; bacterial are amino sugars but phrasing mismatches.
• C: Plant walls are β-glucose polymers, not unspecified "glucose" (ignores linkage); bacterial are amino sugars, not just that.

Final answer: D