Dictionary > Alpha hemolysis

Alpha hemolysis

Definition
noun
A partial hemolysis on blood agar plates as indicated by a green discoloration around the bacterial colony.
Supplement
The hemolytic reactions of streptococci on blood agar plates can be used for their preliminary identification and classification. For instance, Streptococcus pneumoniae forms alpha hemolysis, Streptococcus pyogenes forms beta hemolysis, and Enterococcus faecalis displays gamma hemolysis on blood agar plates.
Variant: α-hemolysis.
Synonyms:

  • green hemolysis
  • partial hemolysis
  • incomplete hemolysis

Compare: beta hemolysis, gamma hemolysis

Last updated on February 27th, 2021

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