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Some Typical Arrangements of Bacteria: List, Keynotes, and, Few Related Images

Some Typical Shape, Size and Arrangements of Bacteria

List of Some Typical Arrangements of Bacteria

In this chapter, we discuss some typical arrangements of bacteria like Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, pneumococcus, Enterococcus, Micrococcus, Neisseria species, Bacillus anthracis, Diphtheroids, Corynebacterium diphtheriae, Listeria monocytogenes, Vibrio cholerae, Campylobacter, Helicobacter, Treponema, Leptospira, Borrelia, etc.

Fog. Some Typical Shape, Size, and Arrangements of Bacteria
S.No.Arrangements Organisms
1.Gram-positive cocci in clustersStaphylococcus
2.Gram-positive cocci in chain Streptococcus
3.Gram-positive cocci in pairs, lanceolate shapedStreptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus)
4.Pairs or in short-chain, spectacle-eyed shapeEnterococcus
5.Gram-positive cocci in four cells/ tetradsMicrococcus
6.Gram-positive cocci in eight cells/ octateSarcinae
7.Gram Negative cocci in pairs, lens-shapedNeisseria meningitidis/Meningococcus
8.Gram-Negative cocci in pairs, kidney-shapedNeisseria gonorrhoea/ Gonococcus
9.Gram-positive bacilli in chain-like bamboo stick appearanceBacillus anthracis
10.Gram-negative bacilli in chainsStreptobacillus
11.Gram positive bacilli in Palisade patternDiphtheroids
12.Gram-positive Branched and filamentous formActinomyces and Nocardia
13.Gram-positive Chinese letter or cuneiform patternCorynebacterium diphtheriae
14.Large Gram-positive boxcar-shaped rodsClostridium perfringens
15.Gram-positive bacilli resembling diphtheroids on Gram stainListeria monocytogenes
16.Pleomorphic Gram-negative bacilli or coccobacilliHaemophilus
17.Gram-negative comma or curved shaped or fish in stream appearanceVibrio cholerae
18.Gram-negative CurvedCampylobacter, Helicobacter
19.Gram-negative thumbprint appearanceBordetella pertussis
20.Pleomorphiclong Gram-negative rods often with tapered ‘pointy endsFusobacterium
21.Spirally coiled, flexible, or Corkscrew shapedTreponema, Leptospira, and Borrelia
22.Filamentous BacteriaCandidatus Savagella
23.Disks arranged like stacks of coinsCaryophanon
24.Pear-shaped cellsPasteuria
25.Star Shaped BacteriaStella
26.Rods with helically sculptured surfacesSeliberia
27.Lobed spheresSulfolobus
28.Rectangular BacteriaHaloarcula vallismortis,H. marismortui
29.Mycelium form of bacteriaStreptomyces
Table: Some Typical Shapes, Sizes, and Arrangements of Bacteria

Keynotes

  • Bacteria are prokaryotic, unicellular microbes lacking chlorophyll pigments and the cellular structure is simpler than that of other microorganisms due to no nucleus or membrane-bound organelles.
  • The shape of a bacterium is maintained by its rigid cell wall.
  • Borrelia is corkscrew-shaped and is larger than the Treponema and they are visible under the microscope in Giemsa or Wright stained smears.
  • Treponema is only visible by a darkfield microscope.
  • Sizes of Microbes
  1. Bacteria: Cocci 0.5-1.0 µm while bacilli 1-10 µm×3-10µm
  2. Viruses: Smallest-Parvo virus-20 nm while largest –Pox virus-300 nm
  3. Parasites: Most protozoa around 50µm in size except Balantidium coli ≥100µm. Helminthes sizes are variable-Cestodes 1mm to several meters in length while nematodes vary in size from  5mm to even 1 meter.
  4. Fungus: Yeast-like appearance 2-30 µm, mold appearance 2-5 µm, and spherical-like appearance 5-300µm.

Few Related Images

Gram-positive cocci in clusters of Staphylococcus in Gram staining of pus

Fig. Gram-positive cocci in clusters of Staphylococcus in Gram staining of pus

Gram-positive cocci in singles, short chains, and long chains of Viridans Streptococci

Fig. Gram-positive cocci in singles, short chains, and long chains of Viridans Streptococci

Gram-positive cocci in pairs, lanceolate shaped of Streptococcus pneumniae in clinical specimen Gram staining

Fig. Gram-positive cocci in pairs, lanceolate shaped of Streptococcus pneumniae in clinical specimen Gram staining

Pairs or in short-chain, spectacle-eyed shape Enterococcus faecalis in Gram staining of culture

Fig. Pairs or in short-chain, spectacle-eyed shape Enterococcus faecalis in Gram staining of culture

Gram-positive cocci in four cells or tetrads of Micrococcus in Gram staining of culture

Fig. Gram-positive cocci in four cells or tetrads of Micrococcus in Gram staining of culture
Fig. Neisseria meningitidis or Meningococcus in Gram staining of culture

Neisseria gonorrhoeae in Gram staining of Urethral discharge

Fig. Neisseria gonorrhoeae in Gram staining of Urethral discharge

Gram-negative bacilli in chains of Streptobacillus in Gram staining of culture

Fig. Gram-negative bacilli in chains of Streptobacillus in Gram staining of culture

Small to large Gram-positive rods arranged in V or L-shaped formations similar to corynebacteria of Listeria monocytogenes in Gram staining of culture

Fig. Small to large Gram-positive rods arranged in V or L-shaped formations similar to corynebacteria of Listeria monocytogenes in Gram staining of culture

Pleomorphic Gram-negative bacilli or coccobacilli of Haemophilus influenzae in Gram staining of sputum

Fig. Pleomorphic Gram-negative bacilli or coccobacilli of Haemophilus influenzae in Gram staining of sputum

Gram-negative comma or curved shaped or fish in stream appearance of Vibrio cholerae in Gram staining of culture

Fig. Gram-negative comma or curved shaped or fish in stream appearance of Vibrio cholerae in Gram staining of culture

Basic fuchsin-stained Campylobacter fetus microscopy at a high magnification

Fig. Basic fuchsin-stained Campylobacter fetus microscopy at a high magnification

Further Readings

  • Color Atlas and Textbook of Diagnostic Microbiology, Koneman, 5th edition
  • https://microbiologyinfo.com/different-size-shape-and-arrangement-of-bacterial-cells/
  • https://universe84a.com/microscope-introduction-parts/
  • Review of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Warren E. Levinson, 15th edition
  • Mackie and Mc Cartney Practical Medical Microbiology. Editors: J.G. Colle, A.G. Fraser, B.P. Marmion, A. Simmous, 4th ed, Publisher Churchill Living Stone, New York, Melborne, Sans Franscisco 1996.
  • Manual of Clinical Microbiology. Editors: P.R. Murray, E. J. Baron, M. A. Pfaller, F. C. Tenover and R. H. Yolken, 7th ed 2005, Publisher ASM, USA
  • Textbook of Diagnostic Microbiology. Editors: Connie R. Mahon, Donald G. Lehman & George Manuselis, 3rd edition2007, Publisher Elsevier.
  • Bailey & Scott’s Diagnostic Microbiology. Editors: Bettey A. Forbes, Daniel F. Sahm & Alice S. Weissfeld, 12th ed 2007, Publisher Elsevier.
  • Clinical Microbiology Procedure Handbook Chief in editor H.D. Isenberg, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, Publisher ASM (American Society for Microbiology), Washington DC.
  • https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC180726/
  • https://www.asmscience.org/content/education/protocol/protocol.2886
  • https://www.sigmaaldrich.com/catalog/product/sigma/ht90a?lang=en
Medical Lab Notes

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Medical Lab Notes
Tags: Actinomycesand long chains of Viridans StreptococciBacillus anthracisBacteriaBasic fuchsin-stained Campylobacter fetus microscopy at a high magnificationBordetella pertussisBorreliaCampylobacterCandidatusCaryophanonClostridium perfringensCorynebacterium diphtheriaeDiphtheroidsEnterococcusFusobacteriumGNBGNRGram-negative bacilli in chains of Streptobacillus in Gram staining of cultureGram-negative comma or curved shaped or fish in stream appearance of Vibrio cholerae in Gram staining of cultureGram-positive cocci in clusters of Staphylococcus in Gram staining of pusGram-positive cocci in four cells or tetrads of Micrococcus in Gram staining of cultureGram-positive cocci in pairsGram-positive cocci in singlesH marismortuiHaemophilusHaloarcula vallismortisHelicobacterKlebsiellalanceolate shaped of Streptococcus pneumniae in clinical specimen Gram stainingLeptospiraListeria monocytogenesMedicallabnotesMedlabsolutionsMedlabsolutions9MicrococcusMicrohubmruniverseiNeisseria gonorrhoeaNeisseria gonorrhoeae in Gram staining of Urethral dischargeNeisseria meningitidisNeisseria meningitidis or Meningococcus in Gram staining of cultureNocardiaPairs or in short-chainPasteuriaPleomorphic Gram-negative bacilli or coccobacilli of Haemophilus influenzae in Gram staining of sputumPseudomonasSarcinaeSeliberiashort chainsSmall to large Gram-positive rods arranged in V or L-shaped formations similar to corynebacteria of Listeria monocytogenes in Gram staining of cultureSome Typical Arrangements of Bacteriaspectacle-eyed shape Enterococcus faecalis in Gram staining of cultureStaphylococcusStellastreptobacillusStreptococcusStreptococcus pneumoniaeStreptomycesSulfolobusTreponemaTypical Shape-Size and Arrangements of BacteriaUniverse84aVibrio cholerae
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