Definition

Noun 1. A genus of bacteria: Francisella is the scientific name for a genus of small, Gram-negative, aerobic coccobacilli (rod-shaped) bacteria. 2. A type of pathogen: Bacteria of this genus are notable for being pathogenic (disease-causing) and parasitic, capable of infecting a wide range of animals, including humans.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The laboratory confirmed the presence of Francisella in the tissue sample.
  • Researchers are studying the virulence factors of Francisella tularensis.
  • Infection with Francisella requires specific antibiotic treatment.

Advanced Usage

• Scientific Classification: The word is always capitalized and italicized in scientific writing, as is standard for genus names. In non-italic text, it is still capitalized.
  • The paper discussed the phylogeny of the genus Francisella.
• As an Attributive Noun: It is commonly used as a modifier before other nouns, particularly the species name.
  • A Francisella infection can be severe.
  • They identified Francisella DNA in the sample.

Variants and Related Words

• Francisellaceae (n): The name of the bacterial family to which the genus belongs.
• Francisella tularensis (n): The most clinically significant species within the genus, which causes the disease tularemia (also known as rabbit fever).
• Francisellosis (n): A general term for disease caused by bacteria of the genus .

Synonyms

• Genus Francisella: The full taxonomic designation.
• (There are no common-language synonyms for this specific scientific term.)

Related Phrases

• Tularemia agent: A descriptive phrase for , referring to the disease it causes.
• Gram-negative coccobacillus: A standard microbiological description of its physical and staining characteristics.

Noun

1. a genus of Gram-negative aerobic bacteria that occur as pathogens and parasite in many animals (including humans)