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Neisseria

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noun Neis·se·ria \ nī-ˈsir-ē-ə \

medical Definition of Neisseria

:a genus (the type of the family Neisseriaceae) of parasitic bacteria that grow in pairs and occasionally tetrads, thrive best at 98.6°F (37°C) in the animal body or serum media, and include the gonococcus (N. gonorrhoeae) and meningococcus (N. meningitidis)

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Biographical Note for neisseria

  • Neisser play \ˈnī-sər\, Albert Ludwig Sigesmund (1855–1916), German dermatologist. Neisser discovered the bacillus that causes gonorrhea in 1879. In 1885 the genus Neisseria, named in his honor, was described, and this microorganism and related bacteria were placed in it.

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