Mycoplasma pneumoniae

Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a small bacterium that lacks a cell wall and colonizes the human respiratory tract. It can cause atypical pneumonia and other respiratory infections.

Cell wall: A rigid structure surrounding many bacterial cells that helps maintain shape and resist osmotic pressure. This bacterium lacks the structure targeted by beta-lactam antibiotics.
Polymerase chain reaction: A laboratory method that amplifies selected DNA sequences for detection and analysis. PCR can detect M. pneumoniae genetic material in respiratory specimens.
Atypical pneumonia: Pneumonia caused by pathogens or clinical patterns that differ from classic pneumococcal pneumonia. M. pneumoniae is a major cause of this pneumonia category.
Mollicutes: A class of bacteria characterized by the absence of a cell wall. M. pneumoniae belongs to this wall-less bacterial group.
Eaton agent: The historical name for the agent later identified as Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Early investigators studied this agent before its bacterial identity was established.
Mycoplasma adhesin P1: A surface protein that helps Mycoplasma pneumoniae attach to respiratory epithelial cells. Attachment by P1 helps the bacterium remain on airway surfaces.
Serology: The study or testing of blood serum, often to detect antibodies against an infection. Antibody tests can support diagnosis, though results depend on timing and interpretation.
Walking pneumonia: A colloquial term for relatively mild pneumonia that does not usually require bed rest or hospitalization. Many M. pneumoniae infections produce a gradual, ambulatory illness.
Bacterial ribosome: A ribonucleoprotein complex that translates messenger RNA into proteins in bacteria. Its ribosomes are targets of antibiotics used to treat the infection.
Monica W. Chanock: An American virologist and pediatric infectious-disease researcher who helped identify the Eaton agent as a cause of atypical pneumonia. Her research helped establish the organism's role in human respiratory disease.

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