Staphylococcus

(staf″ĭ-lō-kok′ŭs)

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[Gr. staphylē, a bunch of grapes + coccus]
A genus of micrococci belonging to the family Staphylococcaceae, order Bacillales. They are gram-positive and, when cultured on agar, produce white, yellow, or orange colonies. Some species are pathogenic, causing suppurative conditions and elaborating exotoxins destructive to tissues. Some produce enterotoxins and are the cause of a common type of food poisoning.

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