mycoplasma
This term describes a unique class of bacteria that lacks a rigid cell wall, a feature that makes them naturally resistant to antibiotics like penicillin which target wall synthesis. In a clinical setting, the word carries a connotation of diagnostic difficulty because these organisms are slow-growing and hard to culture.
Because they lack a wall, they are highly pleomorphic, meaning they can change shape easily. This biological flexibility allows them to adhere tightly to host cell membranes, often leading to chronic or atypical infections that differ from standard bacterial pneumonia.
Countable when referring to a specific species or individual cell (a mycoplasma). Uncountable when referring to the bacterial mass or the general presence of the organism in a sample.
💬Casual Conversation
Medbay says you've come down with mycoplasma. Get out of my vents.
Medbay says you've come down with mycoplasma. Get out of my vents.
I just wanted to feel a breeze that isn't recycled air.
I just wanted to feel a breeze that isn't recycled air.