Bacterium

Bacterium
Bacterium Bac*te"ri*um (b[a^]k*t[=e]"r[i^]*[u^]m), n.; pl. {Bacteria} (b[a^]k*t[=e]"r[i^]*[.a]). [NL., fr. Gr. bakth`rion, ba`ktron, a staff: cf. F. bact['e]rie.] (Biol.) A microscopic single-celled organism having no distinguishable nucleus, belonging to the kingdom Monera. Bacteria have varying shapes, usually taking the form of a jointed rodlike filament, or a small sphere, but also in certain cases having a branched form. Bacteria are destitute of chlorophyll, but in those members of the phylum Cyanophyta (the blue-green algae) other light-absorbing pigments are present. They are the smallest of microscopic organisms which have their own metabolic processes carried on within cell membranes, viruses being smaller but not capable of living freely. The bacteria are very widely diffused in nature, and multiply with marvelous rapidity, both by fission and by spores. Bacteria may require oxygen for their energy-producing metabolism, and these are called {aerobes}; or may multiply in the absence of oxygen, these forms being {anaerobes}. Certain species are active agents in fermentation, while others appear to be the cause of certain infectious diseases. The branch of science with studies bacteria is {bacteriology}, being a division of {microbiology}. See {Bacillus}. [1913 Webster +PJC]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Bacterĭum — Duj., s. Bacillus …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Bacterium — vgl. Bakterie …   Das Wörterbuch medizinischer Fachausdrücke

  • bacterium — c.1848, singular of BACTERIA (Cf. bacteria) (q.v.) …   Etymology dictionary

  • BACTERIUM — COIil COMMUNE быть обнаружены в желчи. При непосредственном введении бактерий в портальную систему печень может совершенно не пропускать их в общий круг кровообращения, выбрасывая их через желчь в кишечник; при повреждении же печени бактерии в… …   Большая медицинская энциклопедия

  • bacterium — *germ, microbe, bacillus, virus …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • bacterium — is a singular noun and its plural is bacteria. Erroneous uses of bacteria as a singular noun are regrettably common in newspapers: • A common gut bacteria may be a major cause of rheumatoid arthritis Independent, 1991 …   Modern English usage

  • bacterium — [bak tir′ē əm] n. sing. of BACTERIA …   English World dictionary

  • Bacterium — A single celled microorganism which can exist either as an independent (free living) organism or as a parasite (dependent upon another organism for life). Examples include: {{}}Acidophilus, a normal inhabitant of yogurt, Chlamydia, which causes… …   Medical dictionary

  • bacterium — [19] Bacterium was coined in the 1840s from Greek baktérion, a diminutive of bad 46 báktron ‘stick’, on the basis that the originally discovered bacteria were rod shaped. At first it was sometimes anglicized to bactery, but the Latin form has… …   The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins

  • bacterium — [[t]bæktɪ͟ərɪʊm[/t]] Bacterium is the singular of bacteria …   English dictionary

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