| mucor | <botany> A genus of minute fungi. The plants consist of slender threads with terminal globular sporangia; mold. Origin: L, fr. Mucere to be moldy or musty. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| Mucoraceae | A family of fungi (class Zygomycetes) comprised of terrestrial, aquatic, and sometimes parasitic organisms; includes the genera Mucor, Absidia, Rhizopus, and Mortierella. Although the various species of the four genera are ordinarily saprobic, free-living forms, some of them cause zygomycosis (mucormycosis) in humans. Origin: L. Mucor, mold (05 Mar 2000) |
| mucorales | An order of zygomycetous fungi, usually saprophytic, causing damage to food in storage, but which may cause respiratory infection or mucormycosis in persons suffering from other debilitating diseases. (12 Dec 1998) |
| mucormycosis | <microbiology> A fungal infection caused by infection with various fungi from the class, Zygomycetes. The organism is widely distributed through air, water and soil. This infection occurs predominately in the immunocompromised patient, burn patients and those on steroid therapy. The most common manifestation is an orbital cellulitis causing exophthalmia. Prognosis is guarded as the mortality rate is quite high. Treatment is with intravenous amphotericin B. (27 Sep 1997) |