Which organism is a gram-negative coccus, oxidase positive, and ferments glucose but not maltose, sucrose, or lactose?

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Multiple Choice

Which organism is a gram-negative coccus, oxidase positive, and ferments glucose but not maltose, sucrose, or lactose?

Biochemical differentiation of gram-negative cocci using sugar fermentation patterns is being tested here. All Neisseria species are oxidase-positive, gram-negative cocci, but they differ in which sugars they ferment. Neisseria gonorrhoeae ferments glucose but not maltose, lactose, or sucrose, which is the pattern described. In contrast, Neisseria meningitidis ferments both glucose and maltose, and Neisseria lactamica typically ferments glucose and maltose as well, while Neisseria sicca has a different or variable pattern. Thus, the described pattern points to Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

Biochemical differentiation of gram-negative cocci using sugar fermentation patterns is being tested here. All Neisseria species are oxidase-positive, gram-negative cocci, but they differ in which sugars they ferment. Neisseria gonorrhoeae ferments glucose but not maltose, lactose, or sucrose, which is the pattern described. In contrast, Neisseria meningitidis ferments both glucose and maltose, and Neisseria lactamica typically ferments glucose and maltose as well, while Neisseria sicca has a different or variable pattern. Thus, the described pattern points to Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

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