mollicutes definition
The Mollicutes are a class of bacteria distinguished by the absence of a cell wall. The word Mollicutes is derived from the Latin mollis (meaning soft or pliable), and cutis (meaning skin). Individuals are very small, typically only 0.2â0.3 Î¼m (200-300 nm) in size and have a very small genome size. They vary in form, although most have sterols that make the cell membrane somewhat more rigid.