Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for mycobacteria. Search instead for mycelia sterilia.

mycobacteria

American  
[mahy-koh-bak-teer-ee-uh] / ˌmaɪ koʊ bækˈtɪər i ə /

plural noun

Bacteriology.
mycobacterium singular
  1. rod-shaped aerobic bacteria of the genus Mycobacterium, certain species of which, as M. tuberculosis, are pathogenic for humans and animals.


Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of mycobacteria

First recorded in 1905–10; from New Latin, a genus name; see origin at myco-, bacteria

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

In these bogs, fungi compete with mycobacteria to grow within a decomposing "gray layer" that, similarly to lesions found in the lungs of tuberculosis patients, is acidic, nutrient-poor, and oxygen-poor.

From Science Daily Dec. 3, 2024

Nontuberculous mycobacteria, which can cause lung infections, appear to be relatively common in shower heads, for instance.

From New York Times Oct. 27, 2018

For example, Casanova and others have found more than a dozen mutations that disrupt the body's ability to battle non-TB mycobacteria, and all of them mess with interferon gamma—a key immune system activator.

From Scientific American Jul. 1, 2018

The mycobacteria that cause leprosy are slow growing, and have an affinity for peripheral nerves and cooler parts of the body.

From Forbes Mar. 6, 2015

So researchers changed their screening protocols to look for the effects compounds had on whole mycobacteria — even so, it has not been smooth sailing.

From Nature Oct. 9, 2013

During her treatment at the Royal Hospital for Children she became seriously ill with a rare mycobacterium chelonae infection.

From BBC Jan. 31, 2026

Caused by bacteria mycobacterium tuberculosis, tuberculosis disease is spread through the air.

From Los Angeles Times Mar. 25, 2024

He and his colleagues were building a library of the proteins that make up the mycobacterium that causes TB.

From Salon Oct. 5, 2023

Several studies even have shown that surgical masks fail to prevent transmission of the much larger mycobacterium tuberculosis, which causes TB.

From Slate Jan. 27, 2020

A report in this month’s issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases reported an outbreak of mycobacterium haemophilum, a nontuberculous mycobacterium that causes skin, joint, bone and pulmonary infections, after permanent makeup was applied to patients’ brows.

From New York Times Feb. 23, 2011

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Join 12,000,000 vocabulary learners

Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer.
You'll remember them forever.

Start training