Bacteria

Mycoplasma

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Mycoplasma, Ureaplasma, Mycoplasmataceae

  • See Also
  1. Bacteria
  • Pathophysiology
  1. Taxonomy
    1. Class: Mollicutes
    2. Order: Mycoplasmatales
    3. Family: Mycoplasmataceae
  2. Mycoplasmataceae lack a cell wall
    1. Have only a simple, three-layered outer cell membrane (rich with Cholesterol and other sterols)
    2. Does not Gram Stain (not Gram Positive or Gram Negative)
    3. Not susceptible to Beta LactamAntibiotics (e.g. Penicillins)
  3. Mycoplasmataceae are tiny (0.3 to 0.8 µm)
    1. Smallest free-living organisms able to self-replicate (smaller than some viruses)
  4. Mycoplasmataceae are pleomorphic
    1. Shape varies (due to lack of cell wall) from filliform to rod to coccus
  • Types
  • Genus I: Mycoplasma (60 species, do not hydrolyze urea)
  1. Mycoplasma pneumoniae
  2. Mycoplasma hominis
  3. Mycoplasma Genitalium
  • Types
  • Genus II: Ureaplasma (2 species, hydrolyze urea)
  1. Ureaplasma Urealyticum
  2. Ureaplasma Parvum
    1. Includes 4 serovars (1, 3, 6, and 14) that were previously classified as Ureaplasma Urealyticum
  • References
  1. Gladwin, Trattler and Mahan (2014) Clinical Microbiology, Medmaster, Fl, p. 156
  2. Lanao (2023) Mycoplasma Infections, Stat Pearls +PMID: 30725612