How Do You Spell BACTERIOTROPIC?

1. Bacteriotropic is an adjective commonly used in the field of microbiology and immunology to describe agents such as viruses, bacteria, or medications that have a tendency or affinity to target and affect bacteria. The term is derived from "bacterio-" meaning bacteria, and "-tropic" referring to the tendency to move towards or be attracted to a particular object or organism.

   In the context of viruses, bacteriotropic refers to their ability to specifically infect and replicate within bacterial cells. These viruses, known as bacteriophages, are highly specialized and have evolved to attach to and invade bacterial hosts, ultimately leading to their destruction. This selective targeting is dictated by specific receptors on the bacterial cell surface that the bacteriophages recognize and bind to.

   Conversely, in the context of medications, bacteriotropic refers to the ability of certain drugs, such as antibiotics, to specifically target and act upon bacteria. These drugs may inhibit bacterial growth or kill the bacterial cells by interfering with essential cellular processes or biochemical pathways within the bacteria.

   Overall, the term bacteriotropic characterizes the affinity or specificity that certain agents, like viruses or medications, have towards bacteria. It underscores the ability of these agents to target and affect bacterial cells, either for their own replication or for therapeutic purposes in treating bacterial infections.

2. Attracted toward bacteria; causing to be attracted to bacteria, said of the action of opsonins upon phagocytes.

   A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.

Common Misspellings for BACTERIOTROPIC

The word "bacteriotropic" is derived from two roots:

1. Bacteria: This term comes from the Greek word "baktērion", which means "small rod". It was first used by German naturalist Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg in 1828 to describe microorganisms with rod-like shapes.

2. Tropic: This word comes from the Greek word "tropos", meaning "turning" or "changing direction". In scientific terminology, "tropic" refers to the tendency of an organism or substance to move or turn towards or away from a particular stimulus.

By combining these two roots, "bacteriotropic" was formed to describe something that has an affinity for bacteria or that exhibits the ability to move towards or target bacteria.