Staphylococcus  

 
Staphylococcus cluster                      Staphylococcus aureus colonies

What you should know:

Staphylococcus is  a catalase-positive Gram-positive coccus that is normally arranged in clusters. It is a facultatively anaerobic chemoheterotroph commonly found on skin and mucous membranes. Important species in this genus include S. aureus (an opportunistic pathogen) and S. epidermidis. Staphylococci are salt-tolerant. S. aureus is a frequent concern in hospitals due to its ability to produce virulence factors such as DNAse, gelatinase, and coagulase, and due to the appearance of methicillin-resistant strains (MRSA).

Classification: Low G+C Gram-positives (Volume 3)