Streptococcus mitis
Encyclopedia
Streptococcus mitis is a mesophilic alpha-hemolytic species
of Streptococcus
that inhabits the human mouth
. It is a Gram positive, coccus, facultative anaerobe and catalase negative. It can cause endocarditis
. It has been widely reported that this organism survived for over two years on the Surveyor 3
probe on the moon
; but some NASA
scientists suggest this may be a result of contamination during or after return of Surveyor parts to Earth, as the person assembling the camera may have sneezed.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of Streptococcus
Streptococcus
Streptococcus is a genus of spherical Gram-positive bacteria belonging to the phylum Firmicutes and the lactic acid bacteria group. Cellular division occurs along a single axis in these bacteria, and thus they grow in chains or pairs, hence the name — from Greek στρεπτος streptos, meaning...
that inhabits the human mouth
Mouth
The mouth is the first portion of the alimentary canal that receives food andsaliva. The oral mucosa is the mucous membrane epithelium lining the inside of the mouth....
. It is a Gram positive, coccus, facultative anaerobe and catalase negative. It can cause endocarditis
Endocarditis
Endocarditis is an inflammation of the inner layer of the heart, the endocardium. It usually involves the heart valves . Other structures that may be involved include the interventricular septum, the chordae tendineae, the mural endocardium, or even on intracardiac devices...
. It has been widely reported that this organism survived for over two years on the Surveyor 3
Surveyor 3
Surveyor 3 was the third lander of the American unmanned Surveyor program sent to explore the surface of the Moon. Launched on April 17, 1967, Surveyor 3 landed on April 20, 1967 at the Mare Cognitum portion of the Oceanus Procellarum...
probe on the moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
; but some NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
scientists suggest this may be a result of contamination during or after return of Surveyor parts to Earth, as the person assembling the camera may have sneezed.
External links
- S. mitis subdural empyema from MedPix