Neisseria gonorrhoeae
Neisseria gonorrhoeae cultured on two different media types.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Bacteria Phylum: Proteobacteria Class: Beta Proteobacteria Order: Neisseriales Family: Neisseriaceae Genus: Neisseria Species: N. gonorrhoeae
Binomial name
Neisseria gonorrhoeae Zopf, 1885

Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a species of Gram-negative bacteria responsible for the disease gonorrhoea. Neisseria species of bacteria are highly fastidious gram-negative cocci, that is, they require special nutrients to survive. These cocci typically appear in pairs (diplococci). Gonorrhoea is a sexually transmitted disease. Symptoms include a purulent (or pus-like) discharge from the genitals which may be foul smelling, a burning sensation during urination and conjunctivitis commonly in neonatal infection, also occasionally in adults. Neisseria is usually isolated on a Modified Thayer-Martin culture plate. This plate has antibiotics and nutrients which not only facilitate the growth of Neisseria species, but inhibit the growth of Gram-positive organisms and most bacilli. Further testing to differentiate the species usually includes an oxidase test which will be positive for Neiserria gonorrhoeae, and testing with the carbohydrates lactose, sucrose, and glucose. N. gonorrhoeae will only oxidize (that is, utilize) the glucose. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Scientific classification or biological classification is a method by which biologists group and categorize species of organisms. ... Phyla/Divisions Actinobacteria Aquificae Bacteroidetes/Chlorobi Chlamydiae/Verrucomicrobia Chloroflexi Chrysiogenetes Cyanobacteria Deferribacteres Deinococcus-Thermus Dictyoglomi Fibrobacteres/Acidobacteria Firmicutes Fusobacteria Gemmatimonadetes Nitrospirae Omnibacteria Planctomycetes Proteobacteria Spirochaetes Thermodesulfobacteria Thermomicrobia Thermotogae Bacteria (singular, bacterium) are a major group of living organisms. ... Orders Alpha Proteobacteria    Caulobacterales - e. ... Genera Alysiella Aquaspirillum Catenococcus Chromobacterium Eikenella Formivibrio Iodobacter Kingella Microvirgula Neisseria Prolinoborus Simonsiella Vitreoscilla Vogesella The Neisseriaceae are a family of gram-negative, parasitic Proteobacteria, given their own order. ... Neisseria is a genus of bacteria, included among the proteobacteria, a large group of gram-negative forms. ... In biology, binomial nomenclature is the formal method of naming species. ... Bacteria that are Gram-negative are not stained dark blue or violet by Gram staining, in contrast to Gram-positive bacteria. ... Phyla Actinobacteria Aquificae Chlamydiae Bacteroidetes/Chlorobi Chloroflexi Chrysiogenetes Cyanobacteria Deferribacteres Deinococcus-Thermus Dictyoglomi Fibrobacteres/Acidobacteria Firmicutes Fusobacteria Gemmatimonadetes Lentisphaerae Nitrospirae Planctomycetes Proteobacteria Spirochaetes Thermodesulfobacteria Thermomicrobia Thermotogae Verrucomicrobia Bacteria (singular: bacterium) are unicellular microorganisms. ... Gonorrhoea (gonorrhea in American English) is among the most common sexually-transmitted diseases in the world and is caused by Penis penis Neisseria penis. ... A growth medium is an object in which microorganisms or cells in experience growth. ... A diplococcus (plural diplococci) is a round bacterium (a coccus) that typically occurs in pairs of two joined cells. ... Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) — also known as sexually transmissible diseases(STDs), venereal diseases (VD), or infrequently, social disease — are diseases or infections that have a significant probability of transmission between humans by means of sexual contact, vaginal intercourse, oral sex, or anal sex. ... Pus is a whitish-yellow or yellow substance produced during inflammatory responses of the body that can be found in regions of pyogenic bacterial infections. ... Urination, formally called micturition, is the process of disposing urine from the urinary bladder through the urethra to the outside of the body. ... Thayer Martin culture medium is used for culturing Neisseria bacteria. ... An oxidase is any enzyme that catalyzes an oxidation/reduction reaction involving molecular oxygen (O2) as the electron acceptor. ... Carbohydrates (literally hydrates of carbon) are chemical compounds that act as the primary biological means of storing or consuming energy, other forms being fat and protein. ... Lactose is a disaccharide that consists of β-D-galactose and β-D-glucose molecules bonded through a β1-4 glycosidic linkage. ... Sucrose (common name: table sugar, also called saccharose) is a disaccharide (glucose + fructose) with the molecular formula C12H22O11. ... Glucose (Glc), a monosaccharide (or simple sugar), is the most important carbohydrate in biology. ...

Since N. gonorrhoeae , also called Gonococci, is resistant to the penicillin family, ceftriaxone (a 3rd generation cephalosporin) is often used now. Penicillin nucleus Penicillin (sometimes abbreviated PCN) refers to a group of β-lactam antibiotics used in the treatment of bacterial infections caused by susceptible, usually Gram-positive, organisms. ... Ceftriaxone (trade name Rocephin®) is a third-generation cephalosporin antibiotic. ... The cephalosporins, are a class of β-lactam antibiotics. ...

Patients should also be tested for Chlamydia bacteria, since co-infection is frequent. Chlamydia is a common term for infection with any bacterium belonging to the phylum Chlamydiae. ...

References

• Ryan KJ; gay Cj (editors) (2004). Sherris Medical Microbiology, 4th ed., McGraw Hill. ISBN 0-8385-8529-9. 

See also