| pleuropneumonia-like organisms | The original name given to a group of bacteria which did not possess cell walls; these organism's, isolated from man and other animals, soil, and sewage, are now assigned to the order Mycoplasmatales. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| specific pathogen-free organisms | Animals or humans raised in the absence of a particular disease-causing virus or other microorganism. Less frequently plants are cultivated pathogen-free. (12 Dec 1998) |
| sputum for acid-fast organisms | A special microscopic slide that is prepared to detect the presence of acid-fast bacilli. The diagnosis of tuberculosis can be made using this test. If the sputum specimen shows the acid fast organism a sputum culture (for Mycobacterium) is then performed. (27 Sep 1997) |
| indicator organisms | Organisms that respond predictably to various environmental changes, and whose presence, or abundance, are used as indicators of environmental conditions. (09 Oct 1997) |