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Glite Dictionary
pyocyanin

pyocyanin

1 9.9
A blue poisonous substance made by some bacteria, often in green pus and studied in labs
  • noun
  • /ˌpaɪoʊˈsaɪənɪn/
  • Specialized
: piocianina
  • The lab discovered pyocyanin in the bacterial cultures.

Examples

  • The laboratory identified pyocyanin in the sample, confirming the presence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

  • Green pus in wounds often contains the pigment pyocyanin produced by certain bacteria.

  • Researchers are studying how pyocyanin contributes to infection and tissue damage.

  • Researchers are studying pyocyanins for their antibacterial properties.

  • Scientists study pyocyanin because it is a toxic blue crystal found in green pus that helps in bacterial research.

  • The blue-green color of pyocyanin is an important indicator used to diagnose infections caused by P. aeruginosa.

  • In the laboratory, researchers observed how pyocyanin changes color when reacting with oxygen.

Surface Forms

pyocyanin singular
pyocyanins plural

Morphology

pyocyanin = pyo + cyanin

The components 'pyo' and 'cyanin' are not immediately recognizable to the average learner, and the specific scientific meaning is specialized and not directly inferable.

Etymology

Pyocyanin comes from the parts pyo- meaning 'pus' and cyan- meaning 'blue', the same 'cyan' you know as a color, plus the chemical ending -in. So the name simply tells you it is the blue substance made by certain bacteria in pus.