What is the Difference Between Mycoplasma and Ureaplasma?

Mycoplasma and Ureaplasma are both species belonging to the class Mollicutes, which are characterized by their lack of a rigid cell wall and their ability to cause infections in humans. They are mostly transmitted sexually or from mother to newborn. The main differences between Mycoplasma and Ureaplasma are:

• Genus: Mycoplasma is a separate genus under the order Mycoplasmatales, while Ureaplasma is another genus under the same order.
• Habit: Mycoplasma species are parasitic, whereas some Ureaplasma species can be both parasitic and saprophytic.
• Urea Hydrolysis: Most Mycoplasma species cannot hydrolyze urea, while most Ureaplasma species can.
• Targeted Tracts: Mycoplasma mostly affects the respiratory tract, apart from the urinogenital tract. On the other hand, Ureaplasma primarily affects the urinogenital tract of humans.
• Examples: Some examples of Mycoplasma species include Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Mycoplasma genitalium. Examples of Ureaplasma species include Ureaplasma urealyticum and Ureaplasma diversum.

Both Mycoplasma and Ureaplasma are associated with various infections, such as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), chorioamnionitis, postpartum and postabortal fever, congenital pneumonia, neonatal bacteremia, and neonatal abscesses. They can be found in the normal genital tract of healthy asymptomatic adults, with the percentage of women with vaginal colonization by Mycoplasma and Ureaplasma species increasing after puberty.

Comparative Table: Mycoplasma vs Ureaplasma

Here is a table comparing the differences between Mycoplasma and Ureaplasma:

Both Mycoplasma and Ureaplasma belong to the order Mycoplasmatales and lack a rigid cell wall, membrane-bound organelles, and a nucleus. They are also both associated with infections in humans, particularly in the urinogenital tract. However, there are some differences between the two genera:

• Mycoplasma species can be either parasitic or saprophytic, while Ureaplasma species are typically parasitic.
• Most Mycoplasma species cannot hydrolyze urea, but some Ureaplasma species can.
• Mycoplasma species can affect both the respiratory tract and urinogenital tract, while Ureaplasma species mainly affect the urinogenital tract.

Examples of Mycoplasma species include Mycoplasma pneumoniae, M. genitalium, and M. hominis, while examples of Ureaplasma species include Ureaplasma urealyticum and U. diversum.