Among the genital mycoplasmas, which organism is uniquely identified by its ability to hydrolyse urea, producing colonies that can be detected on urea-containing media, and is implicated in non-gonococcal urethritis and urolithiasis?

• A Mycoplasma hominis
• B Mycoplasma genitalium
• C Ureaplasma urealyticum ✓
• D Mycoplasma fermentans

Explanation

Ureaplasma urealyticum is distinguished from all other mycoplasmas by possessing a potent urease that splits urea to ammonia, giving its name ('urea-plasma') and forming tiny dark granular colonies on urea media. It causes non-gonococcal urethritis and contributes to struvite urolithiasis. Mycoplasma hominis metabolises arginine instead, and M. genitalium is fastidious and slow growing, requiring nucleic acid amplification tests.

Reference: Ananthanarayan and Paniker's Textbook of Microbiology, 11th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

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