VMC 211: General Veterinary Microbiology (1+1)

INTRODUCTION

• A strain consists of all the descendents of a pure culture. It is usually a succession of cultures derived from an initial colony. Species is a collection of strains having similar characteristics. Species is the basic taxonomic group. Type strain is the permanent reference specimen for the species. All other strains are considered sufficiently similar to the type strain to get included in the species. Bacterial genus is a collection of similar species. One of the species is designated as the type species. It forms the permanent example of the genus. The other species should be sufficiently similar to the type species to be included in the genus.
• The higher taxonomic groups are also formed in a similar manner. They are
  • Family – a group of similar genera
  • Order – a group of similar families
  • Class - a group of similar orders
  • Division – a group of similar classes
  • Kingdom – a group of similar divisions