Mycoplasma
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about a genus of bacteria. For the species causing atypical (or walking) pneumonia, see Mycoplasma pneumoniae
Not to be confused with Mycobacteria.
Mycoplasma
M. haemofelis IP2011.jpg
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Bacteria
Phylum: Tenericutes
Class: Mollicutes
Order: Mycoplasmatales
Family: Mycoplasmataceae
Genus: Mycoplasma
Nowak 1929
Mycoplasmosis
Classification and external resources
Specialty Infectious disease
ICD-10 A49.3
ICD-9-CM 041.81
[edit on Wikidata]
Mycoplasma is a genus of bacteria that lack a cell wall around their cell membrane.[1] Without a cell wall, they are unaffected by many common antibiotics such as penicillin or other 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 atypical pneumonia and other respiratory disorders, and M. genitalium, which is believed to be involved in pelvic inflammatory diseases. Mycoplasma species are the smallest bacterial cells yet discovered,[2] can survive without oxygen, and are typically about 0.1 micrometre in diameter. Hundreds of mycoplasmae infect animals