cyanobacteria

¹

[ sahy-uh-noh-bak-teer-ee-uh, sahy-an-oh- ]

plural noun

, singular cy·a·no·bac·te·ri·um [sahy-, uh, -noh-bak-, teer, -ee-, uh, m, sahy-an-oh-].

1. Microbiology. a widely distributed group of photosynthetic bacteria, occurring singly or in colonies in terrestrial and aquatic habitats: often mistakenly referred to as algae, especially when called by their most common misnomer, blue-green algae .

Cyanobacteria

²

[ sahy-uh-noh-bak-teer-ee-uh, sahy-an-oh- ]

noun

, Microbiology.

1. the phylum, or subkingdom, that comprises the cyanobacteria.

cyanobacteria

/ ˌsaɪənəʊbækˈtɪərɪə /

plural noun

1. a group of photosynthetic bacteria (phylum Cyanobacteria ) containing a blue photosynthetic pigment Former nameblue-green algae

Word History and Origins

Origin of cyanobacteria¹

First recorded in 1975–80; cyano- ¹ + bacteria

Origin of cyanobacteria²

See cyanobacteria ( def )

Example Sentences

For the past decade, he has used the phototropic properties of cyanobacteria to produce images in Petri dishes.

From The Daily Beast