The NAG is an amide composed of glucosamine and acetic acid. NAG and NAM are two amino sugars present in the peptidoglycan layer of bacteria. What is the Difference Between NAG and NAM? Both provide strength to the bacterial cell wall.NAG and NAM are components of a peptidoglycan monomer.They are present in the bacterial cell wall.What are the Similarities Between NAG and NAM? N-acetylglucosamine is an amino sugar present as a component of the peptodoglycan layer in bacteria. Side by Side Comparison вЂ“ NAG vs NAM in Tabular Form N-acetylglucosamine (NAG) and N-acetylmuramic acid (NAM) are two alternating amino sugars present in the peptidoglycan layer of the bacterial cell wall. Peptidoglycan is a polymer composed of sugars and amino acids. In Grams positive bacteria, there is a thick peptidoglycan layer while in Grams negative bacteria, a thin peptidoglycan layer is present. Based on the thickness of this layer, bacteria differentiate into two major groups that are important in bacterial characterization. In the bacterial cell wall, there is a layer of peptidoglycan. Peptidoglycan is unique to bacteria, and it is the component that is present in the bacterial cell wall.

The key difference between NAG and NAM is that the N-acetylglucosamine (NAG) does not have a pentapeptide attached to it while the N-acetylmuramic acid (NAM) has a pentapeptide attached to it.

Nag definition