210 GLOSSARY 



Proliferate To multiply, increase. 



Prophylaxis Guarding against beforehand. Measures toward 

 preventing disease. Adj., prophylactic. 



Protoplasm See Cytoplasm. 



Protozoa (sing., Protozobn) The lowest order of animals, inde- 

 pendent single-celled organisms. 



Pseudo False, resembling. 



Pseudopods The foot-like projections of the cell wall and cyto- 

 plasm shown by amebae, a method of progression for these protozoa. 



Putrefaction The decaying of proteid (the large part of meat 

 and fish) with the production of foul odors and poisonous substances. 

 (This is to be contrasted with fermentation, which see;) 



Pyogenes Pus-producing. Adj., pyogenic. 



Saprophyte An organism capable of living on dead or decaying 

 matter. Adj., saprophytic. 



Serum (pi., Sera) The clear light yellow fluid part of the blood 

 which exudes after clotting has occurred, and in which antibodies 

 reside. 



Sexual Requiring two different forms for reproduction. 



Species The lowest biological division of living forms, varying 

 only in unimportant characters, but possessing all the characters 

 of the genus to which they belong. Lions and tigers belong to the 

 genus Felis (or cat), but the former belongs to the species "leo," 

 and the latter to the species "tigris." See Genus 



Spirocheta (pi., Spirochetae) The spiral or corkscrew-like 

 organisms; name given both to family and genus. 



Staphylococcus The spherical coccus which grows hi grape-like 

 masses. 



Sterile Bacteriologiaally speaking, entirely free of living 

 organisms. A surgically sterile thing may contain organisms from 

 the air which do not hurt the patient. Related words: sterility, 

 sterilization, to sterilize. 



Strain An individual culture of a species isolated from a case. 



Streptococcus The spherical coccus which grows in chains. 



Toxins The poisonous products of bacterial life. 

 Tumefaction Any tumor-like swelling. 



