"BETAPROTEOBACTERIA\n\nBetaproteobacteria are a diverse group of bacteria. The different bacterial species within this group utilize a wide range of metabolic strategies and can survive in a range of environments. Some genera include species that are human pathogens, able to cause severe, sometimes life-threatening disease. The genus Neisseria, for example, includes the bacteria N. gonorrhoeae, the causative agent of the STI gonorrhea, and N. meningitides, the causative agent of bacterial meningitis.\n\nFigure 2.25: Neisseria meningitidis growing in colonies on a chocolate agar plate. Figure description available at the end of the chapter.\n\nNeisseria are cocci that live on mucosal surfaces of the human body. They are fastidious, being difficult to culture as well as requiring high levels of moisture, nutrient supplements, and carbon dioxide. Also, Neisseria are microaerophilic, meaning that they require low levels of oxygen. For optimal growth and for the purposes of identification, Neisseria spp. are grown on chocolate agar (i.e., agar supplemented by partially hemolyzed red blood cells). Their characteristic pattern of growth in culture is diplococcal: pairs of cells resembling coffee beans (figure 2.25). The pathogen responsible for pertussis (whooping cough) is also a member of Betaproteobacteria. The bacterium Bordetella pe"