serratia

Thân thiện

A scientist observes serratia under a microscope in the laboratory.

Definition

Noun 1. A genus of bacteria: Serratia is the scientific name for a genus of motile, rod-shaped bacteria. These bacteria are Gram-negative, meaning they do not retain the crystal violet stain used in a common laboratory test. They are also described as peritrichous, meaning they have flagella (whip-like structures for movement) distributed all over their cell surface.

Usage Notes

• The word is always capitalized because it is a proper noun referring to a specific genus in biological taxonomy.
• It is primarily used in scientific, medical, and microbiological contexts.
• When referring to a single species within this genus, the genus name is italicized and followed by the species name (e.g., ).

Examples

• Scientific Context:
  • The laboratory identified the pathogen as Serratia from the water sample.
  • Some species of Serratia are known to produce a distinctive red pigment.
• Medical Context:
  • Hospital-acquired infections can sometimes be caused by Serratia.
  • The doctor prescribed a specific antibiotic effective against Serratia bacteria.

Advanced Usage

• "Serratia marcescens": This is the most well-known species within the genus. It is often used in laboratory demonstrations and can be an opportunistic pathogen in healthcare settings.
  • The classic experiment involved culturing Serratia marcescens to study bacterial growth.

Variants and Related Words

• Serratiaceae (n): The name of the bacterial family to which the genus belongs.
• Serratia infection (n): A medical condition caused by bacteria of this genus.

Synonyms

• Genus Serratia: The full taxonomic designation.
• There are no common-language synonyms, as this is a precise scientific term. In general contexts, it might be referred to as "a type of bacteria" or "Gram-negative rods."

Related Phrases and Terms

• Gram-negative bacterium: A broad category of bacteria that includes . This classification is important for determining antibiotic treatment.
• Opportunistic pathogen: A microorganism that typically does not cause disease in healthy individuals but can cause infection in people with weakened immune systems, a description that applies to some species.
• Nosocomial infection: An infection acquired in a hospital or healthcare setting, which is a common context for infections.

Học thuật

Noun

1. a genus of motile peritrichous bacteria that contain small Gram-negative rod

Từ đồng nghĩa

• genus Serratia
• Serratia