1. A genus of parasitic bacteria that lack a cell wall and are among the smallest known free-living organisms, often causing respiratory and urinary tract infections in humans and animals.
Usage: technical; microbiology; usually capitalized when referring to the genus

Examples

• Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a common cause of atypical pneumonia in children.
• The laboratory identified mycoplasma in the patient's respiratory sample.
• Mycoplasma infections can be difficult to diagnose because the bacteria grow slowly in culture.
• Some species of mycoplasma are known to cause disease in livestock.
• Antibiotics such as azithromycin are often used to treat mycoplasma infections.