noun
streptococcus; lactococcus
Technical term in microbiology; refers to lactic acid bacteria of the genera Streptococcus and Lactococcus. Used in scientific and medical contexts.
乳酸球菌は発酵食品の製造に利用される。
Lactic acid cocci are used in the production of fermented foods.
この研究では乳酸球菌の遺伝子解析を行った。
In this study, we performed genetic analysis of lactic acid cocci.
乳酸菌 is a broader term for lactic acid bacteria, while 乳酸球菌 specifically refers to the spherical (coccus) forms such as Streptococcus and Lactococcus.
Compound of 乳酸 (lactic acid) + 球菌 (coccus, spherical bacterium). The term is a direct calque from Western scientific terminology.