GLOSSARY OF TERMS 371 



Hcemolysis : on blood agar plate, a-hsemolysis : colonies surrounded by a greenish 



ring. /S-haemolysis : colonies surrounded by an area of clearing, which is 



transparent (see Chapter 24). 

 Heaped-up : irregular, coarse processes projecting considerably above the level 



of the rest of the growth. 

 Infundibuliform : in form of a funnel or inverted cone. 

 Iridescent : exhibiting changing rainbow colours in reflected light. 

 Lenticidar : surface colony, which is convex and translucent, and which acts like 



a plano-convex lens, giving an inverted image of an object viewed through 



it. Deep colony, which is shaped like a lentil. 

 Lobate : having the margin deeply undulate, producing lobes (see Undulate). 

 Lophotrichate : having a tuft of flagella at one or both poles. 

 Luminous : glowing in the dark, phosphorescent. 



Maximum Temperature : temperature above which growth does not take place. 

 Membranous : growth thin, coherent, like a membrane. 

 Microoerophilic : growing best under a lowered oxygen pressure. 

 Minimum Temperature : temperature below which growth does not take place. 

 Mirror-like : having a smooth glistening surface, in which reflections of surround- 

 ing objects, e.g. window bars, can be seen. 

 Monotrichate : having a single flagellum at one pole. 

 Napifofm : liquefaction in form of a turnip. 

 Navicular : shaped like a boat. 

 Opalescent : coarsely iridescent, like an opal. 



Opaque : objects, e.g. window bars, cannot be seen through growth. 

 Optimum Temperature: temperature at which growth is most rapid. 

 Papillate : growth beset with small nipple-like processes. 

 Pellicle : bacterial growth forming either a continuous or an interrupted sheet 



over the culture fluid. 

 Peptonization : rendering curdled milk soluble by the action of peptonizing 



enzymes. 

 Peritrichate : having flagella disposed around the organism. 

 Punctiform : very small, but visible to naked eye ; under 1 mm. in diameter. 

 Radiate : showing fissures or ridges arranged in a radial manner. 

 Raised : growth thick, with a comparatively flat surface, and with abrupt or 



terraced edges. 

 Rhizoid : growth of an irregular branched or root-like character, as in B. 



mycoides. 

 Ring : growth at the upper margin of a liqmd culture, adhering to the glass. 

 Ringed : having one or more circular depressions or elevations on the surface, 



sometimes giving a draughtsman-like appearance. 

 Rough : general term for an irregular surface, the irregularity being of a coarsely 



granular type, or resembling morocco-leather or a relief map. 

 Saccate : liquefaction in form of an elongated sac, tubular, cylindrical. 

 Spreading : growth extending much beyond the line of inoculation, i.e. several 



millimetres or more ; sometimes over an entire tube or plate. 

 Stratiform : liquefying to the walls of the tube at the top and then proceeding 



downwards horizontally. 

 Subterminal : situated towards the end. 

 Terminal : situated at the extreme end. 



