Article
Article
Pseudomonas
Article By:
Gilardi, Gerald L. Microbiology Laboratory, North General Hospital, New York, New York.
Last reviewed:December 2020
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.552850
Show previous versions
- Pseudomonas, published June 2014:Download PDF
Get Adobe Acrobat Reader
A genus of Gram-negative, non-spore-forming, rod-shaped bacteria. Pseudomonas is a heterogeneous taxon of bacteria; division at the genus level has been revised often, and numerous species formerly belonging to Pseudomonas have been transferred to other genera (for example, Burkholderia, Stenotrophomonas, Xanthomonas, and Aeromonas). Pseudomonas bacteria (often termed pseudomonads) are notable because some of them are responsible for a number of infectious diseases in animals (including humans) and plants. In particular, these bacteria are opportunistic pathogens (that is, they cause disease only when the host's immune system is impaired). The type species is P. aeruginosa (see illustration). See also: Bacteria; Bacterial physiology and metabolism; Bacterial taxonomy; Bacteriology; Infectious disease; Medical bacteriology; Opportunistic infections; Staining
The content above is only an excerpt.
About AccessScience
AccessScience provides the most accurate and trustworthy scientific information available.
Recognized as an award-winning gateway to scientific knowledge, AccessScience is an amazing online resource that contains high-quality reference material written specifically for students. Contributors include more than 10,000 highly qualified scientists and 46 Nobel Prize winners.
MORE THAN 8700 articles covering all major scientific disciplines and encompassing the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology and McGraw-Hill Yearbook of Science & Technology
115,000-PLUS definitions from the McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms
3000 biographies of notable scientific figures
MORE THAN 19,000 downloadable images and animations illustrating key topics
ENGAGING VIDEOS highlighting the life and work of award-winning scientists
SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY and additional readings to guide students to deeper understanding and research
LINKS TO CITABLE LITERATURE help students expand their knowledge using primary sources of information
