Bacteria are prokaryotic, mostly free-living, single cell organism that are ubiquitous in nature.

Cell membrane/Plasma membrane is composed of numerous biological molecules – mostly lipids and proteins.

The cell wall is a structural layer surrounding some cell types.

Mycoplasma hominis is a facultative anaerobe that is fast-growing (within 1-4 days) and is able to metabolize arginine but does not utilize glucose. It produces a large fried egg appearance colony on Mycoplasma media.

Gardnerella vaginalis causes non-specific vaginitis, bacterial vaginosis, and cervicitis in association with anaerobic vaginosis. The condition is characterized by foul-smelling vaginal discharge with a fishy odor and acidic pH.

Veillonella spp. has been isolated from infected sites (eg: abscesses, pneumonia, and sinusities) where they are a part of mixed culture. They are gram-negative cocci, anaerobes, non-pathogenic, and occasionally invade the bloodstream after oral surgery

Ureaplasma urealyticum causes urogenital tract infections. i.e. non-gonococcal urethritis, Chorioamnionitis, PID in women, cervicitis, acute salpingitis, urethritis, procitis, balanopothitis, and Reiter’s syndrome in men.

Rickettsia akari is the causative agent of Rickettsial pox and is transmitted via mites. The incubation period is 7 days and symptoms include fever, myalgia, headache, and malaise.

Non-Tuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM) / MOTT includes all mycobacterial species that do not belong to M. tuberculosis. It has approx 130 species of NTM present and is divided into 4 groups on the basis of their phenotypic characteristics growth rate and colonial pigmentation

Mycoplasma is the smallest living free-living form. They are chemo-organotrophs and metabolism is fermentative while other species may be non-fermentative.