genus Mycoplasma
- noun
- /ˈdʒɛnəs ˌmaɪkəˈplæzmə/
- Specialized
:
género Mycoplasma
- Members of the genus Mycoplasma lack a cell wall, making them resistant to many common antibiotics.
Examples
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The genus Mycoplasma includes several pathogens responsible for respiratory infections in humans.
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Researchers isolated a new species within the genus Mycoplasma from contaminated cell cultures.
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The genus Mycoplasma includes many species that can cause disease.
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Some bacteria from the genus Mycoplasma are known to infect humans.
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Scientists discovered that the genus Mycoplasma consists of bacteria that can survive without a cell wall.
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In our microbiology class, we studied the characteristics of the genus Mycoplasma and its role in disease.
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The genus Mycoplasma contains various species, some of which are known to cause infections in livestock.
Surface Forms
Morphology
This is a straightforward compositional taxonomic label: combining 'genus' (a biological rank) with the name 'Mycoplasma' yields 'the genus named Mycoplasma' — i.e. the group of species called Mycoplasma. It follows standard biological naming conventions and is cross-linguistically parallel, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can derive the meaning.
Etymology
Genus Mycoplasma comes from Greek parts myco- and -plasma, meaning 'fungus' and 'formed substance'. Early scientists saw these tiny, soft bacteria and thought they looked like fungi or threads, so the name gives a picture of a soft, wall-less living thing and explains why this group has 'no cell wall'.
