actinomycete
any of several rod-shaped or filamentous, aerobic or anaerobic bacteria of the phylum Chlamydobacteriae, or in some classification schemes, the order Actinomycetales, certain species of which are pathogenic for humans and animals.
Origin of actinomycete
1Other words from actinomycete
- ac·tin·o·my·cet·ous, adjective
Words Nearby actinomycete
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for actinomycete
/ (ˌæktɪnəʊmaɪˈsiːt) /
any bacterium of the group Actinomycetes, usually filamentous in form
Origin of actinomycete
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for actinomycete
[ ăk′tə-nō-mī′sēt′ ]
Any of various bacteria belonging to the phylum Actinobacteria that grow as branching filaments resembling fungal hyphae and are found in soil. The filaments often grow in colonies but sometimes break off into rod-shaped structures. Many species of actinomycetes produce important antibiotics such as streptomycin, while others are pathogenic in humans and other animals, especially for skin diseases. One species lives symbiotically in the roots of alders and conducts nitrogen fixation. Because of their resemblance to fungi, actinomycetes were once classified as fungi.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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