rhizobium

American  

[rahy-zoh-bee-uhm] / raɪˈzoʊ bi əm /

noun

Bacteriology.

rhizobia plural

1. any of several rod-shaped bacteria of the genus Rhizobium, found as symbiotic nitrogen fixers in nodules on the roots of the bean, clover, etc.

---

rhizobium British  

/ raɪˈzəʊbɪəm /

noun

1. any rod-shaped bacterium of the genus Rhizobium , typically occurring in the root nodules of leguminous plants and able to fix atmospheric nitrogen See also nitrogen fixation

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• rhizobia
  plural

Etymology

Origin of rhizobium

< New Latin (1889), equivalent to rhizo- rhizo- + Greek bí ( os ) life ( see bio-) + Latin -um noun suffix

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

rhizobia

It also has a uniquely beneficial relationship with soil, infusing it with rhizobia, bacteria that helps keep soil healthy.

From National Geographic ● Jul. 20, 2023

The rhizobia are housed inside structures called nodules on the plant's roots.

From Salon ● Feb. 23, 2023

Many of these microorganisms live in a symbiotic relationship with plants, with the best- known example being the presence of rhizobia in the root nodules of legumes.

From Textbooks ● Feb. 14, 2019

Students have independently sought out information on the resources for which plants compete, rhizobia symbioses, allelopathy, or the need for mineral nutrients.

From Science Magazine ● Sep. 27, 2012

The nitrogen-fixing rhizobia in root nodules, the mycetomes of insects, and the enzyme-producing colonies in the digestive tracts of many animals are variations of this meticulously symmetrical symbiosis.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas