Microbial cell wall terminology: peptidoglycan is also commonly referred to as which of the following names?

Introduction / Context:
Peptidoglycan is the stress-bearing macromolecule of most bacterial cell walls, forming a mesh-like sacculus around the cell. It is known by several historical names in the literature, and correctly matching these synonyms is a frequent test of vocabulary in microbiology.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Peptidoglycan is a polymer of sugars and peptides (glycan strands cross-linked by short peptides).
• Older literature refers to peptidoglycan as murein or mucopeptide.
• Some options list component molecules rather than synonyms for the entire polymer.

Concept / Approach:
The correct synonym is murein (mucopeptide). The other terms are components: N-acetylmuramic acid (NAM) and N-acetylglucosamine (NAG) are the sugar monomers, and meso-diaminopimelic acid is a frequent amino acid in the peptide cross-bridges of Gram-negative bacteria (and some Gram-positives), but none of these equals the whole polymeric structure.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Textbooks and classic papers use murein and peptidoglycan interchangeably to describe the bacterial cell wall macromolecule.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
N-acetylmuramic acid / N-acetylglucosamine: Building blocks of the glycan backbone, not the full polymer network. meso-diaminopimelic acid: A cross-link amino acid, not the entire structure.

Common Pitfalls:
Assuming any component name equals the whole; remember peptidoglycan is a composite polymer of NAM-NAG chains and peptide cross-links.

Final Answer:
murein mucopeptide