moneran, moneron - organisms that typically reproduce by asexual budding or fission and whose nutritional mode is absorption or photosynthesis or chemosynthesis

Bacilli, Bacillus, B - aerobic rod-shaped spore-producing bacterium; often occurring in chainlike formations; found primarily in soil

cocci, coccus - any spherical or nearly spherical bacteria

coccobacillus - a bacterial cell intermediate in morphology between a coccus and a bacillus; a very short bacillus

spirilla, spirillum - any flagellated aerobic bacteria having a spirally twisted rodlike form

division Eubacteria - one-celled monerans having simple cells with rigid walls and (in motile types) flagella

clostridia, clostridium - spindle-shaped bacterial cell especially one swollen at the center by an endospore

botulinum, botulinus, Clostridium botulinum - anaerobic bacterium producing botulin the toxin that causes botulism

clostridium perfringens - anaerobic Gram-positive rod bacterium that produces epsilon toxin; can be used as a bioweapon

blue-green algae, cyanobacteria - predominantly photosynthetic prokaryotic organisms containing a blue pigment in addition to chlorophyll; occur singly or in colonies in diverse habitats; important as phytoplankton

phototrophic bacteria, phototropic bacteria - green and purple bacteria; energy for growth is derived from sunlight; carbon is derived from carbon dioxide or organic carbon

pseudomonad - bacteria usually producing greenish fluorescent water-soluble pigment; some pathogenic for plants and animals

xanthomonad - bacteria producing yellow non-water-soluble pigments; some pathogenic for plants

nitric bacteria, nitrobacteria - soil bacteria that convert nitrites to nitrates

nitrosobacteria, nitrous bacteria - soil bacteria that oxidize ammonia to nitrites

thiobacillus - small rod-shaped bacteria living in sewage or soil and oxidizing sulfur

spirillum - spirally twisted elongate rodlike bacteria usually living in stagnant water

vibrio, vibrion - curved rodlike motile bacterium

corynebacterium - any species of the genus Corynebacterium

listeria - any species of the genus Listeria

enteric bacteria, enterics, enterobacteria - rod-shaped gram-negative bacteria; most occur normally or pathogenically in intestines of humans and other animals

endospore-forming bacteria - a group of true bacteria

rickettsias - rod-shaped microorganisms resembling both bacteria and viruses; live in biting arthropods and cause disease in vertebrate hosts

chlamydia - coccoid rickettsia infesting birds and mammals; cause infections of eyes and lungs and genitourinary tract

mycoplasma - the smallest self-reproducing prokaryote; lacks a cell wall and can survive without oxygen; can cause pneumonia and urinary tract infection

actinomycete - any bacteria (some of which are pathogenic for humans and animals) belonging to the order Actinomycetales

actinomyces - soil-inhabiting saprophytes and disease-producing plant and animal parasites

mycobacteria, mycobacterium - rod-shaped bacteria some saprophytic or causing diseases

gliding bacteria, myxobacter, myxobacteria, myxobacterium, slime bacteria - bacteria that form colonies in self-produced slime; inhabit moist soils or decaying plant matter or animal waste

lactobacillus - gram-positive rod-shaped bacteria that produce lactic acid especially in milk

strep, streptococci, streptococcus - spherical gram-positive bacteria occurring in pairs or chains; cause e.g. scarlet fever and tonsillitis

spirochaete, spirochete - parasitic or free-living bacteria; many pathogenic to humans and other animals

flagellum - a lash-like appendage used for locomotion (e.g., in sperm cells and some bacteria and protozoa)