Clostridium paralytica
- noun
- /klɒsˈtrɪdiəm pəˈrælɪtɪkə/
- Specialized
- The laboratory tested the antibiotic resistance of Clostridium paralytica strains.
Examples
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Researchers are investigating the potential health effects of Clostridium paralytica in humans.
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Scientists isolated Clostridium paralytica from soil samples collected near the river.
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Is Clostridium paralytica harmful?
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The Clostridium paralytica strain was isolated from contaminated soil.
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The laboratory tested the antibiotic resistance of Clostridium paralytica strains.
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Researchers are investigating the potential health effects of Clostridium paralytica in humans.
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Scientists isolated Clostridium paralytica from soil samples collected near the river.
Surface Forms
Morphology
clostridium + paralytica
The term is a binomial scientific name combining the genus Clostridium (a bacterium) with a Latinized epithet 'paralytica' that transparently suggests a relation to paralysis, so the overall meaning (‘a Clostridium species associated with paralysis’ or similar) is compositionally derived. However, 'paralytica' is a medical/Latinized form not in common English and requires morphological or medical knowledge beyond B1, so comprehension is not fully guaranteed for average learners.
Etymology
Clostridium paralytica comes from old Greek and Latin words. Clostridium comes from a Greek word for a 'spindle' because the cells look long and thin, and paralytica comes from a Latin word for 'paralysis', so the name helps you remember it is a bacterium linked to 'paralysis'.