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Glite Dictionary
Bacillus thuringiensis

Bacillus thuringiensis

1 5.2
A bacterium used as a natural spray on crops to kill caterpillars
  • noun
  • /bəˈsɪləs θʊrɪnˈdʒiːənˌtɪs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : Bacillus thuringiensis
  • The use of Bacillus thuringiensis is favored in organic farming because it targets specific pests without harming beneficial insects.
  • Bacillus thuringiensis, a bacterium
  • Bacillus thuringiensis toxins
  • Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)

Examples

  • Various Indianmeal moths are resistant to certain chemical insecticides and the biological control agent Bacillus thuringiensis.

    Academic text (1995)

  • Preparation of Bacillus thuringiensis spores

    Academic text (2003)

  • Another example is "Bt" technology, which involves plants producing a protein from Bacillus thuringiensis, a bacterium that is toxic to most insects.

    Academic text (2012)

  • Bt corn contains genes from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis so that the plant will produce proteins to protect itself against insect pests such as the European corn borer.

    Academic text (2002)

  • Application of the bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis and Bacillus sphaericus has been effective in reducing malaria in Nicaragua, China, and Cameroon (Sutherst 2004).

    Academic text (2009)

  • Rootworm corn has been genetically modified to produce a protein toxin derived from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), a common and naturally occurring soil bacterium.

    Academic text (2003)

  • Farmers often use Bacillus thuringiensis as a natural pesticide to protect their crops from harmful insects.

  • When the caterpillars were discovered on the plants, the gardener decided to spray them with Bacillus thuringiensis to prevent damage.

Synonyms

spinosad
vsBacillus thuringiensis
  • Specialized
9.0

A natural product made from soil bacteria that kills insect pests on crops and plants

is the living bacterium used itself to control agricultural insect pests

Surface Forms

Bacillus thuringiensis singular
Bacillus thuringiensis plural

Morphology

bacillus + thuringiensis

This is a Latin binomial: 'bacillus' denotes a rod-shaped bacterium, but 'thuringiensis' is a Latinized species epithet (derived from a place name) and does not convey the pesticidal function. A B1 learner who knows the constituent forms would not be able to infer the specific meaning 'a bacterium used as a natural pesticide' without specialist/domain knowledge, so the expression is opaque.

Etymology

Bacillus thuringiensis comes from the bacterium's shape and the place where it was first found. Bacillus means 'small rod' and thuringiensis points to 'Thuringia' in Germany, so the name helps you remember a rod-shaped bacterium from Thuringia that is used as a natural pesticide to kill caterpillars.