Quellung (Noun)
Meaning
The swelling of the capsule surrounding a microorganism after reaction with an antibody; the basis of certain tests for identifying microorganisms; "pneumococcus quellung".
Classification
Nouns denoting natural processes.
Examples
- The Quellung test is a serological technique that identifies and types pneumococcus based on the visual demonstration of the capsular swelling reaction.
- Quellung reaction is an important tool for the diagnosis of bacterial infections such as those caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae.
- Microbiologists use Quellung test to determine the type of capsular polysaccharide surrounding certain microorganisms.
- The Quellung reaction is considered a specific method of identifying bacterial strains in a clinical laboratory setting.
- Pneumococcal infections can be diagnosed through a Quellung reaction that occurs when an antibody reacts with the pneumococcal capsule, causing it to swell.