Actinomyces
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 Agar plate culture of an Actinomyces species.
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A. bovis |
Actinomyces is a genus of Gram-positive bacteria. Some species are anaerobic, while others are facultatively anaerobic . Actinomyces species do not form spores, and, while individual bacterium are rod-shaped, morphologically Actinomyces colonies form fungus-like branched networks of hyphae.
Many Actinomyces spp. are opportunistic pathogens of humans and other mammals, particularly in the oral cavity. In rare cases, these bacteria can cause actinomycosis, a disease characterized by the formation of abscesses in the mouth, lungs, or the gastrointestinal tract.
[edit] References
- Holt JG (editor) (1994). Bergey's Manual of Determinative Bacteriology, 9th ed., Williams & Wilkins. ISBN 0-683-00603-7.
- Madigan M; Martinko J (editors). (2005). Brock Biology of Microorganisms, 11th ed., Prentice Hall. ISBN 0-13-144329-1.
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