Download Bacterial Shapes and Groupings

Bacteria are…
 Unicellular
 May

not always appear as single cells
able to communicate with one another through a process
called quorum sensing.
 they
can function as a multi-cellular population rather than
as individual bacteria.
 Often found in clumps, groups or chains
 Identified and named by
 Their
shapes
 The way they appear in groups
Shapes of Bacteria
 Most bacteria are
one of three shapes
(although there are
a few other
possibilities):
 Spherical
 Rod Shaped
 Spiral
Coccus
coccus
(sing.)
cocci (pl.)
 are spherical
(coccus = a
berry)
Streptococcus & Staphylococcus
Chains
Grape-like Clusters
Scanning Electron Micrograph of
Streptococcus pneumoniae
Image provided by Dr. Richard Facklam .
Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
 bacillus
(sing.)
 bacilli (pl.)
◦are rodshaped
 (bacill(um) = a
little stick)
Appear in chains after
division
 spirillum
(sing.)
 spirilla (pl.)
 are spiral
 (spiro = spiral,
coil)
Caption:-- Vibrio cholerae - curved (vibrioshaped), rod prokaryote; causes Asiatic
cholera.
Caption:-- Neisseria gonorrhoeae - Gram-negative, coccus prokaryote (dividing);
causes gonorrhea.
Caption:-- Streptococcus pyogenes - Gram-positive, coccus prokaryote (dividing). Causes
pharyngitis, food poisoning, puerperal fever (childbed fever), scarlet fever, rheumatic
fever, skin and wound infections (erysipelas, impetigo) . Group A Streptococcus.
Caption:-- Staphylococcus aureus -Gram-positive, MRSA, coccus
prokaryote (dividing); causes food poisoning, toxic shock
syndrome and skin and wound infections such as scalded skin
syndrome, scarlet fever, erysipelas and impetigo.
Image provided by Joyce Ayers.
Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Staphylococcus albus
Streptobacillus nicolau
Gaffkya tetragena
Diplococcus pneumoniae
Spirillum minus
Bacterial Diseases
Scientific Name
Disease and Body Part Affected
Diplococcus pneumoniae
Pneumonia—lungs
Neisseria meningitides
Meningitis--brain and spinal cord
Corynebacterium diphtheriae
Diptheria—nasopharynx or skin
Bordetella bronchiseptica
Bronchitis—respiratory tract
Clostridium tetani
Tetanus-nervous system (lock jaw)
Myobacterium tuberculosis
Tuberculosis--lungs
Staphylococcus epidermidis
Staph Infection—Skin & Mucous
Membranes
Bordetella pertussis
Pertussis/Whooping Cough--Lungs
Bell Work
 Name
at least 5 things that
you have to do when we have
a lab? WHY?