ABSTRACT
Staphylococcus (from the Greek “σταφυλη´”/“staphyle¯,” “bunch of grapes,” and “κóκκος”/“kókkos,” “granule”) is a genus of gram-positive bacteria belonging to the family Staphylococcaceae, order Bacillales, class Bacilli, phylum Firmicutes. Of the six genera in the family Staphylococcaceae (i.e., Gemella, Jeotgalicoccus, Macrococcus, Nosocomiicoccus, Salinicoccus, and Staphylococcus), the genus Staphylococcus is noted for its complexity (consisting of >40 species) and for its disease causing potential (with Staphylococcus aureus being a most common pathogen of man and animals), even though most Staphylococcus species are harmless and normally reside on the skin and mucous membranes of humans and other organisms or represent a small component of soil microbial ³ora.
