Lexic.us

Definition of Bacteria

1. Noun. (microbiology) single-celled or noncellular spherical or spiral or rod-shaped organisms lacking chlorophyll that reproduce by fission; important as pathogens and for biochemical properties; taxonomy is difficult; often considered to be plants.

Definition of Bacteria

1. n. pl. See Bacterium.

Definition of Bacteria

1. Noun. (plural of bacterium) ¹

2. Noun. (American English) A type, species, or strain of bacterium ¹

3. Noun. (US proscribed) (alternative form of bacterium) ¹

4. Noun. (pejorative slang) A derisive term for a lowlife or a slob (could be treated as plural or singular). ¹

5. Noun. (dated medicine) An oval bacterium, as distinguished from a spherical coccus or rod-shaped bacillus ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Bacteria

1. bacterium [n -S] - See also: bacterium

Medical Definition of Bacteria

1. One of the two major classes of prokaryotic organism (the other being the Cyanobacteria). Bacteria are small (linear dimensions of around 1 m), noncompartmentalised, with circular DNA and ribosomes of 70S. Protein synthesis differs from that of eukaryotes and many antibacterial antibiotics interfere with protein synthesis, but do not affect the infected host. Recently bacteria have been subdivided into Eubacteria and Archaebacteria, although some would consider the Archaebacteria to be a third kingdom, distinct from both Eubacteria and Eukaryotes. The Eubacteria can be further subdivided on the basis of their staining using Gram stain. Since the difference between gram-positive and gram-negative depends upon a fundamental difference in cell wall structure it is therefore more soundly based than classification on gross morphology alone (into cocci, bacilli, etc.). (02 Jan 1998)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Bacteria

Literary usage of Bacteria

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. The American Journal of the Medical Sciences by Southern Society for Clinical Investigation (U.S.) (1883)
"bacteria seen plainly to move. 1 ec more added (2 in all) of thymol sol. ... 1 move, .3 in all; bacteria still move. That is three milligrammes of thymol in ..."

2. Botanical Gazette by University of Chicago, JSTOR (Organization) (1916)
"This phenomenon is not confined to a gain in the number of bacteria alone, but is accompanied by a stimulation of the activity of the microorganisms. ..."

3. Bulletin (1922)
"ROLE OF bacteria IN THE NANNOPLANKTON No quantitative observations were made on the bacteria of Lake Mendota during this plankton investigation, ..."

4. Preventive Medicine and Hygiene by Milton Joseph Rosenau, George Chandler Whipple, John William Trask, Thomas William Salmon (1921)
"bacteria in the air are commonly considered as one kind of dust, ... bacteria are not found everywhere in the air; uninhabited places are quite free; ..."

5. Science by American Association for the Advancement of Science (1916)
"STATEMENT CONCERNING THE NUMBER OF bacteria IN MILK THE literature discussing sanitary milk problems is full of statements like this: " Certified milk is ..."

6. Science by American Association for the Advancement of Science (1905)
"ANY one reading this article would conclude that it lias been proved that plants can absorb free nitrogen from the atmosphere without the aid of bacteria, ..."

7. Journal of the Royal Microscopical Society by Royal Microscopical Society, London (1882)
"In order to convert the distemper-bacteria rapidly into hay- bacteria, the solution which contains them is shaken up violently, to increase the supply of ..."

8. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London by Royal Society (Great Britain) (1881)
"[ have found an analogous appearance in bacteria. The bacteria found in these cultivations are seen in the transition forms of a spore or coccus, ..."

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