Mycoplasma

Mycoplasma :-

In 18^th century in Europe a disease called Bovine pleuropneumonia spread in cattle, which caused havoc in cattle . Initially it was thought to be caused by a irus but later on it was found to be caused by some different microorganism

i.                  Pasteur (1843) first discovered them fom pleural fluid of cattle ,suffering from pleuropneumonia , which were called PPLO (Pleuro pneumonia like organism) , but he couldn’t not obtain Them in pure culture

ii.               Nocard & Roux (1898) first obtained their pure culture

iii.            Borrel et al. (1910) gave them a name called Asterococcous

iv.            Nowak (1929) gave the name Mycoplasma

v.               Mycoplasma are the smallest Known aerobic prokaryotes without cell wall. The smallest cell so far discovered is of  Mycoplasma gallisepticum having diameter of 0.1 µ

vi.            Mycoplasma have been reported to a cause of number of plants and animals disease and these also have been reported from urinogenital tract of human being

vii.         Main three characteristics feature of mycoplasma are

a.  They lacking cell wall

b.  Colonial appearance

c.   Fliterability through 450 nm bacterial filter

viii.      As mycoplasma have no cell wall , hence no definite shape called pleomorphic organism

ix.            Due to their above appreance they are called “Jokers of Microbiology”

x.               It’s Difference from other bacteria that on giving optimum nutritional medium ,it never develop cell wall

xi.            It can be cultured on living medium , on living medium which contain chick tissue

xii.         In non-living medium it require ph=7.8 & Blood serum with nutritional medium