Microbiology terms

Virulence is a pathogen's or microorganism's ability to cause damage to a host.

thumb|right|300px|Staphylococcus aureus biofilm on an indwelling [[catheter]]

term in biology

genetic variant, a subtype or a culture within a biological species

in biology, method of multiplying cells, organisms, tissues, and organs under optimal conditions

A xenobiotic is a chemical substance found within an organism that is not naturally produced or expected to be present within the organism. It can also cover substances that are present in much higher concentrations than are usual. Natural compounds can also become xenobiotics if they are taken up by another organism, such as the uptake of natural human hormones by fish found downstream of sewage treatment plant outfalls, or the chemical defenses produced by some organisms as protection against predators. The term "xenobiotic" is also used to refer to organs transplanted from one species to an

collective bacteria and other microorganisms in a host

parameter in microbiology

Petri dish with agar used to culture microbes

subtype of a microorganism. An organism with one or more new mutations is referred to as a “variant” of the original organism if not sufficiently different to be termed a distinct strain

parameter in microbiology

lowest concentration of an antibacterial agent required to kill a particular bacterium

Mikrobial loop

community of microorganisms of the skin

study of the ecology of microorganisms

A chemotype (sometimes chemovar) is a chemically distinct entity in a plant or microorganism, with differences in the composition of the secondary metabolites. Minor genetic and epigenetic changes with little or no effect on morphology or anatomy may produce large changes in the chemical phenotype. Chemotypes are often defined by the most abundant chemical produced by that individual and the concept has been useful in work done by chemical ecologists and natural product chemists. With respect to plant biology, the term "chemotype" was coined by Rolf Santesson and his son Johan in 1968, defined

In biology, axenic (, ) describes the state of a culture in which only a single species, variety, or strain of organism is present and entirely free of all other contaminating organisms. The earliest axenic cultures were of bacteria or unicellular eukaryotes, but axenic cultures of many multicellular organisms are also possible. Axenic culture is an important tool for the study of symbiotic and parasitic organisms in a controlled environment.

thumb|upright=1.7|right| The plant aerial surface, mostly occupied by leaves, is inhabited by diverse microorganisms, forming the phyllosphere

gluey polymers secreted by microorganisms to form biofilms

thumb|Aeromonas veronii biovar sobria|Aeromonas veronii biovar sobria [[Gram stain on microscope slide]] A biovar is a variant prokaryotic strain that differs physiologically or biochemically from other strains in a particular species. Morphovars (or morphotypes) are those strains that differ morphologically. Serovars (or serotypes) are those strains that have antigenic properties that differ from other strains. __FORCETOC__

new cell or microbiological culture made by transferring some or all cells from a previous culture

classification of streptococcal bacteria by ability to break down red blood cells