Microbiology

Size, Shapes and

Arrangements of
Bacteria
Bacterial Shapes

• cocci
• bacilli
• spiral
Coccus

Cocci (pl.) are spherical or

oval bacteria having one of
several distinct arrangements
based on their planes of
division.
Arrangements of Cocci
• division in one plane
– diplococcus (pairs)
– streptococcus (chains)
• division in two planes
– tetrad (squares of four)
• division in three planes
– sarcina (cubes of eight)
• random planes
Diplococcus

Streptococcus pneumoniae
Streptococcus

Streptococcus pyogenes
Tetrad

Micrococcus luteus
Sarcina

Sarcina Spp.
Random/Clusters

Staphylococcus aureus
Bacillus

Bacilli (pl.) are rod-shaped

bacteria. Bacilli all divide in
one plane producing a
bacillus, streptobacillus, or
coccobacillus arrangement.
Arrangment of Bacilli

• bacilli (single)
• diplobacilli (pairs, few)
• streptobacilli (chains)
• coccobacilli (oval)
Bacilli

Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Diplobacilli

Moraxella catarrhalis
Streptobacilli

Bacillus subtilis
Coccobacilli

Bortedella pertussis
Spiral

Spirals come in one of three

forms:
– vibrio (comma-shaped)
– spirillum (thick, rigid spiral)
– spirochete (thin, flexible spiral)
Vibrio

Vibrio cholerae
Spirillum

Spirillum volutans
Spirochete

Treponema pallidum Leptospira interrogans

FINISH!