A protective structure outside the cytoplasmic membrane composed of peptidoglycan (also known as murein), a molecule made up of a glycan (sugar) backbone of repetitively alternating N-acetylglucosamine and N-acetylmuramic acid with short, attached, cross-linked peptide chains containing unusual amino acids. An example of this component is found in Escherichia coli. [ https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=bn%3A0815108893 ]