厚壁菌门（学名：Firmicutes）是一大类细菌，多数为革兰氏阳性，有细胞壁的结构。少数，如柔膜菌纲（Mollicutes）（如支原体），缺乏细胞壁而不能被革兰氏方法染色，但也和其余的革兰氏阳性菌一样缺乏第二层细胞膜。厚壁菌门这个词原本包括所有革兰氏阳性菌，但目前仅包括低G+C含量的革兰氏阳性菌，而高G+C含量的则被划入放线菌门（Actinobacteria）。厚壁菌门表现为球状或者杆状。

很多厚壁菌可以产生内生孢子，它可以抵抗脱水和极端环境。很多环境中都可找到内生孢子，很多著名的病原菌都能产生孢子。有一类厚壁菌，太阳杆菌科可以通过光合作用产生能量。

The Firmicutes (Latin: firmus, strong, and cutis, skin, referring to the cell wall) are a phylum of bacteria, most of which have Gram-positive cell wall structure. A few, however, such as Megasphaera, Pectinatus, Selenomonas and Zymophilus, have a porous pseudo-outer-membrane that causes them to stain Gram-negative. Scientists once classified the Firmicutes to include all Gram-positive bacteria, but have recently defined them to be of a core group of related forms called the low-G+C group, in contrast to the Actinobacteria. They have round cells, called cocci (singular coccus), or rod-like forms (bacillus).