%0 Journal Article %A KRASS, CONRAD J. %A GARDNER, MAX W. %T Etymology of the Term Mycoplasma %D 1973 %J International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, %V 23 %N 1 %P 62-64 %@ 1466-5034 %R https://doi.org/10.1099/00207713-23-1-62 %I Microbiology Society, %X The term mycoplasma apparently was first used by A. B. Frank in 1889 and then by Jakob Eriksson in 1897 to denote an intimate relationship between plant-invading fungi or other microorganisms and their host cells. Julien Nowak, in 1929, used the term taxonomically for the bovine pleuropneumonia organism. E. A. Freundt and D. G. Edward have since used the term mycoplasma in the classification of “pleuropneumonia-like” organisms. The original usage of the term to denote a cytological concept does not, however, affect the legitimacy of the subsequent taxonomic usage. %U https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/ijsem/10.1099/00207713-23-1-62