Mycoplasma

This article is about a genus of bacteria. For the species causing atypical pneumonia, see Mycoplasma pneumoniae.
Not to be confused with Mycobacteria.

Mycoplasma
Mycoplasma haemofelis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Bacteria
Phylum: Mycoplasmatota
Class: Mollicutes
Order: Mycoplasmatales
Family: Mycoplasmataceae
Genus: Mycoplasma
J.Nowak 1929
Type species
Mycoplasma mycoides
(Borrel et al. 1910) Freundt 1955 (Approved Lists 1980)
Species

See text

Synonyms
  • "Asterococcus" Borrel et al. 1910 non Scherffel 1908 non Borkhsenius 1960
  • "Asteromyces" Wroblewski 1931 non Moreau & Moreau ex Hennebert 1962
  • "Borrelomyces" Turner 1935
  • "Bovimyces" Sabin 1941
  • Haemobartonella Tyzzer & Weinman 1939
  • "Pleuropneumonia" Tulasne & Brisou 1955
Mycoplasmosis
SpecialtyInfectious disease

Mycoplasma is a genus of bacteria that, like the other members of the class Mollicutes, lack a cell wall, and its peptidoglycan, around their cell membrane.[1] The absence of peptidoglycan makes them naturally resistant to antibiotics such as the beta-lactam antibiotics that target cell wall synthesis. They can be parasitic or saprotrophic. Several species are pathogenic in humans, including M. pneumoniae, which is an important cause of "walking" pneumonia and other respiratory disorders, and M. genitalium, which is believed to be involved in pelvic inflammatory diseases. Mycoplasma species (like the other species of the class Mollicutes) are among the smallest organisms yet discovered,[2] can survive without oxygen, and come in various shapes. For example, M. genitalium is flask-shaped (about 300 x 600 nm), while M. pneumoniae is more elongated (about 100 x 1000 nm), many Mycoplasma species are coccoid. Hundreds of Mycoplasma species infect animals.[3]

In casual speech, the name "mycoplasma" (plural mycoplasmas or mycoplasms) generally refers to all members of the class Mollicutes. In formal scientific classification, the designation Mycoplasma refers exclusively to the genus, a member of the Mycoplasmataceae, the only family in the order Mycoplasmatales (see "scientific classification").

  1. ^ Ryan KJ, Ray CG, eds. (2004). Sherris Medical Microbiology (4th ed.). McGraw Hill. pp. 409–12. ISBN 978-0-8385-8529-0.
  2. ^ Richard L. Sweet, Ronald S. Gibbs (1985). Infectious Diseases of the Female Genital Tract. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2009. ISBN 978-0-683-08038-4.
  3. ^ Larsen B, Hwang J (2010). "Mycoplasma, Ureaplasma, and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes: A Fresh Look". Infectious Diseases in Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2010: 1–7. doi:10.1155/2010/521921. ISSN 1064-7449. PMC 2913664. PMID 20706675.