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penicillium Definition

peni·cil·lium (pen′i sil′ē əm)

noun pl. penicilliums -·li·ums or penicillia -·lia (-ə)

any of a genus (Penicillium) of imperfect fungi growing as green mold on stale bread, ripening cheese, decaying fruit, etc.: penicillin is derived from some species

Etymology: ModL < L penicillus (see pencil): from the tuftlike ends of the conidiophores

penicillium Usage Examples

Modifies a noun

  • notatum: He noticed that one plate on which there a number of colonies of bacteria had become contaminated with a mold fungus, Penicillium notatum.
  • chrysogenum: C: Molds of the type Penicillium The mold Penicillium chrysogenum is the responsible for the secretion of the antibiotic Penicillin.
  • specie: Somatic hybridization between Penicillium species after induced fusion of their protoplasts.
  • expansum: Penicillium expansum [ 1 ] Does not produce penicillin; causes disease in apples.
  • roqueforti: Penicillium roqueforti [ 1 ] Does not produce penicillin; the familiar mold of blue-veined cheese.
  • allii: Penicillium allii, a new species from Egyptian garlic.

Noun used with modifier

  • fungus: The antibiotic penicillin was the first to be isolated from the fungus Penicillium notatum.
  • mold: It started when penicillin was extracted from the mold Penicillium notatum in the 1930s.
  • genus: However, several molds of the genus Penicillium are capable of producing mycotoxins which may produce some adverse health effect.