Clostridium is a large genus of Gram-positive bacteria, belonging to the Firmicutes. They are obligate anaerobes capable of producing endospores.^[1] Individual cells are rod-shaped, which gives them their name, from the Greek kloster or spindle. These characteristics traditionally defined the genus, but they are not phylogenetically significant, and many species originally classified as Clostridium have been moved elsewhere. In biology, a genus (plural genera) is a taxonomic grouping. ... Gram-positive bacteria are those that are stained dark blue or violet by gram staining, in contrast to gram-negative bacteria, which are not affected by the stain. ... Classes Bacilli Clostridia Mollicutes The Firmicutes are a division of bacteria, most of which have Gram-positive stains. ... An anaerobic organism or anaerobe is any organism that does not require oxygen. ... Endospore forms An endospore is any spore that is produced within an organism (usually a bacterium). ... In biology, phylogenetics (Greek: phylon = tribe, race and genetikos = relative to birth, from genesis = birth) is the study of evolutionary relatedness among various groups of organisms (e. ...

Clostridium includes common free-living bacteria as well as important pathogens. There are four main species responsible for disease in humans: A pathogen or infectious agent is a biological agent that causes disease or illness to its host. ... A disease is an abnormal condition of the body or mind that causes discomfort, dysfunction, or distress to the person afflicted or those in contact with the person. ...

• C. botulinum, an organism producing a toxin in food that causes botulism.
• C. difficile, which can overgrow other bacteria in the gut during antibiotic therapy, can cause pseudomembranous colitis.
• C. perfringens, causes a wide range of symptoms, from food poisoning to gas gangrene. Also responsible for enterotoxemia (also known as "overeating disease" or "pulpy kidney disease") in sheep and goats.
• C. tetani, the causitive organism of tetanus (lockjaw).

Other important species include C. acetobutylicum, also known as the Weizmann organism, which was first used by Chaim Weizmann to produce acetone and biobutanol from starch in 1916 for the production of gunpowder and TNT. C. sordelli has been linked to the deaths of more than a dozen women after childbirth. Binomial name Clostridium botulinum van Ermengem, 1896 Clostridium botulinum is a bacterium that produces the toxin botulin, the causative agent in botulism. ... The venom of the black widow spider is a potent latrotoxin. ... Botulism (from Latin botulus, sausage) is a rare but serious paralytic illness caused by a nerve toxin, botulin, that is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. ... Binomial name Clostridium difficile Hall & OToole, 1935 Clostridium difficile ( ) (also referred to as C. diff or C-diff) is a species of bacteria of the genus Clostridium which are Gram-positive, anaerobic, spore-forming rods. ... Gut flora, or intestinal bacteria, are the bacteria that normally live in the digestive tract and perform a number of useful functions involving digestion for their hosts. ... An antibiotic is a drug that kills or slows the growth of bacteria. ... Pseudomembranous colitis is a infection of the colon caused by the bacterium Clostridium difficile. ... Binomial name Clostridium perfringens Clostridium perfringens is a bacterium of the genus Clostridium. ... A foodborne illness or food poisoning is any illness resulting from the consumption of food contaminated with pathogenic bacteria, toxins, viruses, prions or parasites. ... It has been suggested that gas gangrene be merged into this article or section. ... Binomial name Clostridium tetani Flügge, 1886 Clostridium tetani is a bacterium of the genus Clostridium. ... Tetanus is a serious and often fatal disease caused by the neurotoxin tetanospasmin which is produced by the Gram-positive, obligate anaerobic bacterium Clostridium tetani. ... Lockjaw can refer to any of the following: the pathological condition known as trismus, in which the mouth is held shut by sustained spasm of the masseter (jaw) muscle, often observed in cases of tetanus tetanus, an infectious disease of the central nervous system Lockjaw, a character from Marvel Comics... Clostridium acetobutylicum () is a commercially valuable bacterium, included in the genus Clostridium. ... Chaim Weizmann and Harry S. Truman, May 25, 1948 Chaim Azriel Weizmann (Hebrew: חיים ויצמן) (also: Chaijim W., Haim W.) (November 27, 1874 – November 9, 1952) chemist, statesman, President of the World Zionist Organization, first President of Israel (elected May 16, 1948, served 1949 - 1952) and founder of a research institute in... R-phrases , , , S-phrases , , , Flash point -20 °C Autoignition temperature 465 °C RTECS number AL31500000 Supplementary data page Structure & properties n, εr, etc. ... Butanol (butyl alcohol) is a higher alcohol with a 4 carbon atom structure and a general formula of C4H10O. There are 4 different isomeric structures for butanol (refer to box). ... Starch is a complex carbohydrate which is insoluble in water, it is used by plants as a way to store excess glucose. ... 1916 (MCMXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Smokeless powder Gunpowder, whether black powder or smokeless powder, is a substance that burns very rapidly, releasing gases that act as a propellant in firearms. ... Trinitrotoluene (TNT) is an explosive. ...

Pathogenesis

Clostridium bacteria has been recently discovered as being a pathogen that is capable of infecting dogs. This disease can be fatal. A post-mortem on an individual who has died of Clostridium bacteria will reveal that they have blood-filled lungs or intestines.^{[citation needed]} A pathogen or infectious agent is a biological agent that causes disease or illness to its host. ... Human blood smear: a - erythrocytes; b - neutrophil; c - eosinophil; d - lymphocyte. ... The lungs flank the heart and great vessels in the chest cavity. ... The intestine is the portion of the alimentary canal extending from the stomach to the anus and, in humans and other mammals, consists of two segments, the small intestine and the large intestine. ...

More species:

• Clostridium butyricum
• Clostridium ctm
• Clostridium laramie
• Clostridium sporogenes

References

1. ^ Ryan KJ; Ray CG (editors) (2004). Sherris Medical Microbiology, 4th ed., McGraw Hill. ISBN 0838585299.

External links

• Todar's Online Textbook of Bacteriology
• UK Clostridium difficile Support Group