Agrobacterium tumefaciens

1 8.5

A bacterium that makes growths on plant roots and stems by putting some of its DNA into the plant

noun
/ˌæɡroʊbækˈtɪəriəm tuːˌmɛfəˈsiːənz/

Specialized

: Agrobacterium tumefaciens

Agrobacterium tumefaciens is frequently used in genetic engineering to introduce new genes into plants.

Examples

Researchers study Agrobacterium tumefaciens to better understand how bacteria transfer DNA to other organisms.
The presence of Agrobacterium tumefaciens can cause tumors to form on the roots and stems of infected plants.
The plant was infected by Agrobacterium tumefaciens.
Researchers are studying Agrobacterium tumefaciens for its role in genetic engineering.
Scientists use Agrobacterium tumefaciens to insert desired traits into crops for improved yield.
The infection of Agrobacterium tumefaciens in plants leads to the development of crown gall tumors.
By studying Agrobacterium tumefaciens, researchers aim to enhance plant resistance to diseases.

Surface Forms

Agrobacterium tumefaciens singular

Agrobacterium tumefaciens plural

Morphology

Agrobacterium + tumefaciens

This is a Latin binomial: knowing 'Agrobacterium' (a soil/plant-associated bacterium) allows a B1 learner to infer that the phrase names a species of that bacterium, so the basic idea 'a type of bacterium' is transparent. However, the specific sense conveyed by the epithet 'tumefaciens' (and the detailed meaning that it causes crown gall by transferring DNA) is specialized/Latin-derived and not predictable from everyday English vocabulary, so the full meaning is not fully derivable.

Etymology

Agrobacterium tumefaciens literally tells a short story: agro- means 'field', bacterium is a tiny living cell, and tumefaciens means 'causing a swelling' or 'making a tumor'. So the name means a 'field' bacterium that puts part of its DNA into plants and makes tumor-like lumps called galls, and because it can move DNA, scientists use it to add new genes to plants.