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bacteria

(Encyclopedia)bacteria [pl. of bacterium], microscopic unicellular prokaryotic organisms characterized by the lack of a membrane-bound nucleus and membrane-bound organelles. Once considered a part of the plant king...

denitrifying bacteria

(Encyclopedia)denitrifying bacteria: see nitrogen cycle. ...

nitrifying bacteria

(Encyclopedia)nitrifying bacteria: see nitrogen cycle. ...

nitrogen-fixing bacteria

(Encyclopedia)nitrogen-fixing bacteria: see nitrogen cycle. ...

staphylococcus

(Encyclopedia)staphylococcus stăfˌələkŏkˈəs [key], any of the pathogenic bacteria, parasitic to humans, that belong to the genus Staphylococcus. The spherical bacterial cells (cocci) typically occur in irreg...

osteomyelitis

(Encyclopedia)osteomyelitis ŏsˌtēōmīˌəlīˈtĭs [key], infection of the bone and bone marrow. Direct infection of bone usually occurs through open fractures, penetrating wounds, or surgical operations. Infec...

prostatitis

(Encyclopedia)prostatitis prŏsˌtətīˈtĭs [key], inflammation of the prostate gland. Acute prostatitis is usually a result of infection in the urinary tract or infection carried by the blood; in many cases the ...

antibiotic

(Encyclopedia)antibiotic, any of a variety of substances, usually obtained from microorganisms, that inhibit the growth of or destroy certain other microorganisms. Although for centuries preparations derived from ...

Archaebacteria

(Encyclopedia)Archaebacteria ärˌkēbăktĭrˈēə [key], diverse group of bacteria (prokaryotes), sometimes called the archaea and considered a major group unto themselves. Archaebacteria are contrasted with the ...

sewerage

(Encyclopedia)sewerage, system for the removal and disposal of chiefly liquid wastes and of rainwater, which are collectively called sewage. The average person in the industrialized world produces between 60 and 14...