Which one of the following statements about Mycoplasma is wrong?
- They are pleomorphic.
- They are sensitive to penicillin.
- They cause diseases in plants.
- They are also called PPLO.
Answer
(2) They are sensitive to penicillin.
Solution
As per NCERT, Mycoplasma are organisms that completely lack a cell wall; they are the smallest living cells known and can survive without oxygen.
∵ No cell wall ⇒ they have no fixed shape, i.e. they are pleomorphic ⇒ (1) is correct.
∵ Penicillin acts by blocking cell-wall (peptidoglycan) synthesis ⇒ organisms without a cell wall are resistant (insensitive) to penicillin ⇒ statement (2) is wrong.
∵ Many Mycoplasma are pathogenic in animals and plants (e.g. little leaf of brinjal), and they are also called PPLO (pleuropneumonia-like organisms) ⇒ (3) and (4) are correct.
Answer: (2)