Microbiology Glossary
Browse our comprehensive collection of 777 microbiology terms and definitions.
T
Trypanosoma brucei
Trypanosoma brucei is a species complex of parasitic flagellated protozoa that cause African sleeping sickness in humans and nagana in animals. Biology and...
TTX
TTX is an abbreviation for tetrodotoxin, a potent nonprotein neurotoxin found in pufferfish and various other marine and terrestrial organisms that blocks...
Tubercle
A tubercle is a small nodular lesion characteristic of granulomatous inflammation, particularly seen in tuberculosis. It consists of a collection of immune...
Typhoid Fever
Typhoid fever is a systemic illness caused by the bacterium Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Typhi. It is acquired through ingestion of food or...
U
UBI
Ultraviolet blood irradiation UBI refers to a procedure in which a small volume of a patient's blood is circulated outside the body, exposed to ultraviolet...
UHT
Process and microbiological principles During UHT treatment, direct steam injection or indirect heat exchangers raise the temperature of the food to around...
Ultraviolet (UV) Radiation
Ultraviolet UV radiation is a form of electromagnetic energy with wavelengths shorter than visible light and longer than X rays. It spans from roughly 100 to...
Urease Test
The urease test is a biochemical assay that detects the presence of urease, an enzyme that hydrolyses urea to ammonia and carbon dioxide. Many bacteria produce...
Usutu Virus
Usutu virus USUV is a mosquito‑borne flavivirus that primarily infects birds and can occasionally cause neuroinvasive disease in humans. It is an enveloped,...
UTI
Urinary tract infection UTI refers to microbial infection of any part of the urinary system, including the urethra, bladder, ureters and kidneys. Most UTIs are...
V
VACC
Vaccination VACC is the administration of antigenic material, known as a vaccine, to stimulate the immune system and protect against infectious diseases. The...
Vaccine
A vaccine is a biological preparation that introduces antigenic components to the immune system so it can recognise and fight the corresponding pathogens...
Variably Protease‑Sensitive Prionopathy (VPSPr)
Variably protease‑sensitive prionopathy VPSPr is a rare sporadic human prion disease identified in the early 2000s. Unlike typical Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease,...
Variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob Disease (vCJD)
Variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease vCJD is a zoonotic human prion disease linked to exposure to bovine spongiform encephalopathy BSE agents. It was first...
Varicella-zoster virus (VZV)
Varicella-zoster virus VZV, also known as human herpesvirus 3, is an enveloped double-stranded DNA virus that causes varicella chickenpox upon primary...
Varicella‑Zoster Virus (VZV, HHV‑3)
Varicella‑Zoster Virus VZV, HHV‑3 is an enveloped double‑stranded DNA virus belonging to the Varicellovirus genus of the Alphaherpesvirinae subfamily. It...
Varicella‑Zoster Virus (VZV/HHV‑3)
Varicella‑zoster virus VZV, also known as human herpesvirus 3, is a double‑stranded DNA virus with an icosahedral capsid, tegument and lipid envelope. It...
Variegated Squirrel Bornavirus 1 (VSBV-1)
Variegated Squirrel Bornavirus 1 VSBV‑1 is a member of the genus Orthobornavirus family Bornaviridae first identified in 2015 after fatal encephalitis cases in...
Vector
A vector in biological sciences refers either to a living organism that carries and transmits pathogens between hosts or a DNA vehicle used in molecular...
Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Virus (VEEV)
Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis virus VEEV is a mosquito‑borne alphavirus in the Togaviridae family that causes febrile and neuroinvasive disease in horses and...
Viable
In microbiology, viable describes cells or organisms that are alive and capable of growth or metabolic activity when provided with appropriate conditions....
Viral Latency
Viral latency is a reversible state in which a virus persists within a host cell without producing infectious progeny, maintaining its genome for long periods...
Viral Load
Viral load refers to the quantity of viral particles present in a specific volume of body fluid, typically reported as copies of viral RNA or DNA per...
Viral Load
Viral load refers to the quantity of virus present in a specified volume of body fluid. It is usually reported as copies of viral RNA or DNA per millilitre of...