Why does damage to a bacterial cell wall cause the bacterial cell to die?

The bacterial cell wall is a rigid structure composed of peptidoglycan that provides essential shape and structural stability to the organism.1

When antimicrobial agents, such as β-lactam antibiotics (e.g., penicillin), interfere with the synthesis or cross-linking of this wall, the structural integrity of the bacterium is compromised. This alteration weakens the cell wall, leading to a disruption of the bacterium's morphology and, ultimately, the death of the cell. By preventing the proper assembly of the peptidoglycan meshwork, these agents render the bacterium unable to maintain its form or protect itself against its environment, resulting in cellular collapse.21