Definition for Betaproteobacteria
From Biology Forums Dictionary
Betaproteobacteria, like alphaproteobacteria, thrive in habitats with low levels of nutrients, and some genera, such as Nitrosomonas, are nitrifying. Interesting genera include Neisseria, species of which inhabit the mucous membranes of mammals and cause such diseases as gonorrhea, meningitis, and pelvic inflammatory disease. Bordetella causes pertussis, and Burkholderia colonizes the lungs of cystic fibrosis patients. Nonpathogenic betaproteobacteria include Thiobacillus, which is important in recycling sulfur in the environment, and Zoogloea and Sphaerotilus, two genera that form flocs, slimy, tangled masses of organic matter in sewage.