Clostridium
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Clostridium acetobutylicum |
Clostridium (< Greek kloster spindle, because of their shape) is a genus of Gram positive anaerobic spore-forming bacteria.
There are many species of Clostridium but the four main species causing human disease are:
- Clostridium botulinum, an organism producing a toxin in food that causes botulism.
- Clostridium difficile, which can overgrow other bacteria in the gut during antibiotic therapy, causing pseudomembranous colitis.
- Clostridium perfringens, which gets into wounds, and is an important cause of gas gangrene.
- Clostridium tetani, the causitive organism of tetanus (lockjaw).
Species of Clostridium not associated as a pathogen are:
- Clostridium acetobutylicum, also known as the Weizmann organism, as it was first used by Chaim Weizmann to produce acetone and butanol from starch in 1916 for the production of gunpowder and TNT.de:Clostridium