Meaning & use
peritrichous
In microbiology, describing a bacterium that has flagella distributed evenly over its entire surface.
See it in a sentence
Under the microscope, the peritrichous bacterium spun in circles using flagella covering its whole body.
Salmonella is a well-known example of a peritrichous bacterium used in classroom demonstrations.
A note on using this word
Peritrichous flagellation contrasts with polar flagellation, where flagella are clustered at just one end of the cell.
Words with a similar meaning
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