The classification and taxonomy of the corynebacteria.

• Main Author: Cleveland, Edward. M.
• Other Authors: Stevenson, J. (Supervisor)
• Format: Others
• Language: en
• Published: McGill University 1955
• Subjects: Bacteriology and Immunology.
• Online Access: http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=109926

At the close of the nineteenth century Lehmann and Neumann (1896) designed the genus Corynebacterium as a suitable pigeon-hole in their scheme of Bacterial classification for the organism producing the disease diphtheria and a few other organisms which were considered similar for morphological reasons. The genus consisted entirely of human and animal pathogenic or parasitic bacteria characterized by irregular, often club-like cell shapes, Gram-positive but showing irregular staining, non-acid-fast, non-motile, lacking endospores and having a predominently aerobic habitat.