Rickettsiales (Noun)
Meaning
Pleomorphic Gram-negative microorganisms.
Classification
Nouns denoting animals.
Examples
- Rickettsiales are a group of pleomorphic Gram-negative microorganisms that usually reside obligately within the cells of other organisms.
- Rickettsiales primarily infect arthropods such as ticks, lice, fleas, and mites, which serve as vectors for transmission to vertebrates.
- These microorganisms have evolved complex relationships with their hosts, often resulting in the manipulation of host behavior and physiology.
- The Rickettsiales order includes several families of pathogens that cause diseases in humans and animals, such as the Rickettsiaceae and Anaplasmataceae.
- Due to their obligate intracellular lifestyle, Rickettsiales have reduced genomes and rely heavily on the host cell for essential nutrients and metabolic processes.