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FCIRMS OF BACTERIA

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The word "bacterium'i may have been used for the first tirne
in the 185Os when the French investigator Casimir Davaine
used the term to mean "rod" or..stalf.,,As the years unfolded
it became apparent that many bacteria are not rodlike, but the
narne remained and soon it was appiied to all microscopic
organisms of that general size and with properties similar to
the rods. In this plate three basic forms of bacteria and their
arrangements are examined and related to their role as disease
agents.

Color the subheading (a), the four different forms of the

bacillus (a1) through (aa) and their titles, and the narnes of
the related diseases. Use four different shades of the same

color for these forms.

The rod form of a bacterium is called a bacillus (a; pl.

bacilli). Bacilli vary in size, and may be as long as 20 pm or
as short as 0.5 pm. Certajn bacllli (Bacillus anthracis) are
rectangular with sharply rounded ends (ar); these bacilli cause
anthrax (al), a disease of such animals as cows, goats, sheep,
and deer- The disease is communicable to humans by air,
contaminated meat, and. contact with animals. Certain rod_
shaped

bacilli are wide at one end and tapered at the other end

(club-shaped, a2i e.g., Cornybacterium diphtheriae).

They are
known to cause diphtheria (a2). In this disease ofthe respiratory

tract, bacterial toxins damage the nerves and the heart. One
type of bacillu s (Clostridium tetani) isrodlike but swollen at
one end (a3). These swollen ends contain endospores, a very
resistant form of the bacterium. Tetanus (ar), a disease caused
by these bacteria, is characterized by muscle spasms, seizures,
and paralysis ofrespiratory muscles. There are seVeral species

ofbacitli that occur in chains (aa). A streptobacillus is shown

here; str'epto, refers to bacteria linked end_to_end,in chains.
Certain streptobacilli cause rat bite fever (aa), a disease
characterized by chills, vomiting, and fever.

'Color the subheatling (b),

and the five dift"erent forms of
the coccus and their titles, and the names of the related
diseases. Use five shades oflhe same color or similar colors
which contrast with the color used for (a).

The spherical form of a bacterium is known as a coccus

(b; pl. cocci). A coccus is about 0.5 pm in diameter. Some
cocci called dipiococci are paired (diplo-, double). One species
of diplococcus (streptococcus pneumoniaie) has tapered sides
(b') and causes pneumonia (b'), an inflammation of the
air
spaces of the lungs accompanied by fluid formation.
Another

type of diplococcus (Neisseia gonorrhoeae) (b2) resembles

two tiny beans lying face to face. ,iy'. gonorrhoeae causes
gonorrhea (b2), a disease transmifted by sexuai contact. The
streptococcus is a well-known group of cocci characterized
by individuals in a chain (b3). ..Strep rhroat', (b3), a serious
infection of the pharynx, is c.aused by a species of strepto_
coccus. In contrast, a harmless species of streptoccccus is one
of the "active cultures" in a cup of yogurt. Acubelike packet
offour or eight cocci (ba)is called a sarcina. One sarcina called
Micrococcus luteus is a common nonpathogenic inhabitant of

the human skin (ba). Another type of coccus, called

ind produces toxins in
food resulting in staphylococcal food poiioning (bs). Other
staphylococcus, ociurs in clusters (b5)

staphylococci enter hair follicles and inflame theikin causing

boils or "staph infection" (not shown).

Color the subheading (c), the three different forms of the

spiral and their titles, and the names of the rela&ed diseases.
Use three shades of the same color which contrasts with
the colors used for (a) and (b).
A third tbrm of a bacterium is the spiral (c). These bacteria
are about 15 gm in length. In the spiral form called the vibrio

(cr), the bacterium has only a single turn. appearing

curved,
like a comrna. One vibrio causes cholera (c'), i sdrious Oisorder
characterized by vomiting, diarrhea, and cramps. Severe
dehydration caused by Vbrio cholerae is induced by toxins
that interfere with sodiurn absorption in the intestines. Another

form of spiral bacteria is the spiriiium (pl. spirilla). The

spirillum resembles a corkscrew, with the spiral making several

tums (c2). ltre spirillum possesses a rigid cell wall with flagella
for movement. This bacterium causes rat bite fever (cr), whiph

is similar in.symptoms to the rat bite fever caused by

streptobacilli. A spirochete is a spiral bacterium that has the
corkscrew form but a flexible cell wall and no flagelia (ci).
It
uses axial filaments to move in a snakelike manner.
A
spirochete (Treponema palli,ium) is responsible for syphilis
(c3), a disease in which the bacteria enter the
tissues through
breaks in the skin, such as the skin of the genital organs.
The anatomicai pattem of a bacterium can be of great
practical vaiue. In the diagnostic laboratory for example;
a
technician may note the characteristic diplococci ofgonorrhea
in a patient's urine sample and report thjs observation to the
physician. The diagnosis of syphitis is aideC considerably
by
locating tlte characteristic spirochetes in materiai from a skin

lesion. And strep throat may be pinpointed by.observing

streptococci in bacterial colonies isolated from the throat.

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FORMS OF BACTERTA
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FORMS OF BACTERIA

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