Mycobacteria -
Mycobacteria
are
a
group
of
non
motile
rods
that
are
defined
on
the
basis
of
a
distinctive
staining
property:
they
are
relatively
Impermeable
to
various
basic
dyes,
but
once
stained
they
retain
dyes
with
tenacity.
Specifically,
they
resist
decolorization
with.
acidified
organic
solvents,
and
are,
therefore,
calIed
acid
fast.
This
property,
and
their
relatively
slow
growth,
are
attributed
to
their
lipid
rich
cell
wall.
Mycobacteria
range
from
widespread
innocuous
saprophytic
inhabitants
of
soil
and
water
to
organisms
which
are
responsible
for
tuberculosis
and
leprosy.
Tuberculosis
is
usually
confined
to
internal
organs,Where
as
leprosy
largely
involves
the
skin.
