Cell envelope

The cell envelope comprises the inner cell membrane and the cell wall of a bacterium. In Gram-negative bacteria an outer membrane is also included.^[1] This envelope is not present in the Mollicutes where the cell wall is absent.

Bacterial cell envelopes fall into two major categories: a Gram-positive type which stains purple during Gram staining and a Gram-negative type which stains pink during Gram staining. Either type may have an enclosing capsule of polysaccharides for extra protection. As a group these are known as polysaccharide encapsulated bacteria.