Definition of Mycoplasma

Mycoplasma: The mycoplasma are a very large group of bacteria. There are more than 70 types. Mycoplasma hominis and Mycoplasma pneumoniae are among the dozen types of mycoplasma that occur in humans.

Mycoplasma hominis is a common inhabitant of the vagina and can cause infections of the female and male genital tracts.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae can infect the upper respiratory tract and the lungs. It is a major cause of respiratory infection in children of school age and young adults. It is also a common cause of pneumonia in persons with HIV.

Certain antibiotics including tetracycline and erythromycin are frequently used to treat infection with Mycoplasma hominis or Mycoplasma pneumoniae.

Mycoplasma are very simple one-celled organisms without an outer membrane. They penetrate and infect individual cells.