Staphylococcus aureus w.m., spheres.
Allow students to explore a well-studied Gram-positive organism, Staphylococcus aureus.
This spherical (coccus) bacterium is commonly found in the respiratory tract and on skin, with some strains being pathogenic, causing boils and abscesses.
Antibiotic-resistant strains, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), can cause a variety of problems, from skin to blood infections.
After asexual reproduction by binary fission, the daughter cells tend to stick together. This causes grape-like clusters to form, which can easily be seen by students.
The Staphylococcus aureus slide is an excellent example for basic histology and pathology studies.
