Koch's bacillus

Koch's bacillus
Koch's bacillus 'kōks-, 'käch-əz- or Koch bacillus 'kōk-, 'käch- n a bacillus of the genus Mycobacterium (M. tuberculosis) that causes human tuberculosis
Koch 'kȯk (Heinrich Hermann) Robert (1843-1910)
German bacteriologist. Koch is usually hailed as the founder of modern bacteriology. He is responsible for devising or adapting many of the basic principles and techniques (particularly staining methods) of bacteriology. He is most famous for isolating and obtaining in 1876 a pure culture of the bacterium (Bacillus anthracis) that causes anthrax, for discovering the cholera vibrio (Vibrio cholerae) in 1883, and for identifying and isolating the tubercle bacillus (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) in 1882. Koch published an epochal work on the etiology of traumatic infectious disease in 1878, and was the first (in 1887) to demonstrate that a specific microorganism is the cause of a specific disease. In 1890 he introduced tuberculin for the diagnosis of tuberculosis. Koch's postulates were first described in 1882 and then elaborated upon in 1884. The Koch-Weeks bacillus was discovered by Koch in 1883, and he described the Koch phenomenon in 1891. Koch was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1905.

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R. Koch (1843-1910), German bacteriologist

Medical dictionary. 2011.

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  • Koch-Weeks bacillus — wēks n a bacterium of the genus Haemophilus (H. aegyptius) associated with an infectious form of human conjunctivitis compare PFEIFFER S BACILLUS Weeks John Elmer (1853 1949) American ophthalmologist. Weeks founded a clinical laboratory for… …   Medical dictionary

  • Koch's bacillus — Tubercle Tu ber*cle, n. [L. tuberculum, dim. of tuber: cf. F. tubercule, OF. also tubercle. See {Tuber}.] [1913 Webster] 1. A small knoblike prominence or excrescence, whether natural or morbid; as, a tubercle on a plant; a tubercle on a bone;… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Koch's bacillus — /kɒks bəˈsɪləs/ (say koks buh siluhs) noun a bacillus, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, that causes tuberculosis. Also, Koch bacillus. {named after Robert Koch} …  

  • koch's bacillus — noun or koch bacillus Usage: usually capitalized K : a bacillus (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) that causes human tuberculosis …   Useful english dictionary

  • Koch's bacillus — see Mycobacterium [R. Koch (1843–1910), German bacteriologist] …   The new mediacal dictionary

  • koch-weeks bacillus — ˈwēks noun Usage: usually capitalized K&W Etymology: after Robert Koch died 1910 and John E. Weeks died 1949 American ophthalmologist, who discovered it independently : a bacterium of the genus Hemophilus associated with human conjunctivitis …   Useful english dictionary

  • Koch–Weeks bacillus — …   Useful english dictionary

  • Koch-Weeks conjunctivitis — n conjunctivitis caused by the Koch Weeks bacillus * * * acute contagious c …   Medical dictionary

  • Bacillus tuberculosis — Tubercle Tu ber*cle, n. [L. tuberculum, dim. of tuber: cf. F. tubercule, OF. also tubercle. See {Tuber}.] [1913 Webster] 1. A small knoblike prominence or excrescence, whether natural or morbid; as, a tubercle on a plant; a tubercle on a bone;… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • koch bacillus — noun see koch s bacillus …   Useful english dictionary

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