Question

What is PPLO?
(A) Virus
(B) Viroid
(C) Mycoplasma
(D) Bacteria

Answer 1

Hint: PPLO stands for Pleuro Pneumonia Like organisms. It belongs to the genus of bacteria and is similar to them but it lacks the cell wall surrounding the cell organelles. They were first invented by Pasteur in 1930 when he dealt with pleuropneumonia in the cattle.

Complete step by step answer:
PPLO are the smallest free-living prokaryotic organisms or the cells. These organisms can live without the presence of oxygen also. Due to the absence of cell wall, they are much more resistant to some antibiotics that target the growth and generation of cell wall than the other organisms. An example for this antibiotic is penicillin. These are pathogenic and are responsible for causing atypical pneumonia in the human beings and some animals. They cause the infections in the tracheal cavity of the humans. At first these are referred to as filterable viruses, because they pass through the filter and remove bacteria. These pleuropneumonia like organisms are also known as mycoplasma.

Thus, the option (C) is correct.

Additional information: Penicillin is the antibiotic that was discovered from the fungus molds. These are used to treat bacteria and it was the first antibiotics that was used by the doctor. It works by breaking or bursting the cell wall of the bacteria.

Note:
The scientist Eaton found the drug to kill these PPLO and to cure pneumonia. He found the drug Aureomycin to which these mycoplasmas are sensitive. And hence Pleuropneumonia Like organisms are also called Eaton's agent.