MICRO Anatomy of Bacteria

Coccus

the type of bacteria that is spherical or round in form.

Bacillus

rod-shaped bacteria.

Vibrio

a genus of spiral bacteria which are curved or bent rods that resemble commas.

Spirillum

a genus of spiral bacteria having a corkscrew shape with a rigid cell wall.

Spirochete

spiral-shaped bacteria having a flexible cell wall.

Diplococci

spherical bacteria that occur in pairs.

Staphylococci

a genus of gram-positive, nonmotile, opportunistic bacteria which tend to aggregate in irregular, grape-like clusters.

Streptococci

spherical-shaped bacteria occurring in chains.

Diplobacilli

a pair of bacilli, linked end to end.

Streptobacilli

rod-shaped bacteria occurring in chains.

Cell wall

a structure that has great mechanical strength allowing the cell to tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions

Cell membrane

located immediately interior to the cell wall and controls the diffusion of substances into and out of the cell.

Mesosome

a cell structure that aids in reproduction and respiration

Ribosome

a cell structure that synthesizes proteins

Capsule

a coating that surrounds some bacterial cells; a loose gel-like structure that, in pathogenic bacteria, helps to protect against phagocytosis.

Endospore

a thick-walled body produced by a bacterium to enable it to survive unfavorable environmental conditions

Flagella

a cell structure that provides motility for the cell

Pili

a cell structure functioning as a mediator of sexual reproduction through a process called conjugation