
How do cocci and bacilli differ in morphology?
Answer
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Hint: Bacteria are prokaryotic single-celled organisms that survive in diverse and extreme conditions. They are microscopic structures and are present in different shapes.
Complete answer:
Bacteria are the most abundant organisms that are present in almost all habitats. They are microscopic structures and hence, cannot be seen with naked eyes. They are single-celled prokaryotes that exist in large groups of millions of cells. They lack a nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles and have a simpler internal structure. The genetic material or DNA of the cell lies freely in the cell. The DNA can be supercoiled to form a nucleoid molecule or can be a circular plasmid molecule.
The bacteria can occur in both singulars as well as clustered form. The bacteria occur in various shapes and can be classified into five groups- spherical, rod, comma, spiral, or corkscrew.
The differences between the cocci and bacilli bacteria are-
Note: The other types of bacteria found are-
1)Vibrio- These are comma-shaped bacteria and are gram-negative. Example- Vibrio cholerae.
2)Spirilla- These are spiral-shaped bacteria and are gram-negative. Example- Campylobacter jejuni.
3)Spirochete- These are corkscrew-shaped bacteria and are gram-negative. Example- Spirochaeta.
Complete answer:
Bacteria are the most abundant organisms that are present in almost all habitats. They are microscopic structures and hence, cannot be seen with naked eyes. They are single-celled prokaryotes that exist in large groups of millions of cells. They lack a nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles and have a simpler internal structure. The genetic material or DNA of the cell lies freely in the cell. The DNA can be supercoiled to form a nucleoid molecule or can be a circular plasmid molecule.
The bacteria can occur in both singulars as well as clustered form. The bacteria occur in various shapes and can be classified into five groups- spherical, rod, comma, spiral, or corkscrew.
The differences between the cocci and bacilli bacteria are-
Cocci Bacteria | Bacilli Bacteria |
These are spherical, round, or ovoid-shaped bacteria. | These are rod-shaped bacteria. |
Due to the symmetrical shape, both the axes are almost equal to each other. | Due to its unsymmetrical shape, one axis of the bacteria is longer than the other. |
These bacteria mostly grow in the absence of oxygen and thus are anaerobic. | These bacteria form an endospore during aerobic growth or are mostly facultatively anaerobic. Facultative anaerobic switch to the aerobic mode in the presence of oxygen or otherwise follow fermentation. |
These bacteria include both gram-positive and gram-negative strains. | These bacteria mostly include gram-positive strains. |
These bacteria are arranged in a chain manner. They are also found in tetrad or bundle/sarcina form. | These bacteria are also arranged in a chain manner. They can also exist in a palisade manner. |
They can exist as diplococci (pairs of cocci), streptococci (chains of cocci), staphylococci (irregular clusters of cocci) forms. | They can exist as diplobacilli (pairs of bacilli), streptobacilli (chains of bacilli), and staphylobacilli (irregular clusters of bacilli) forms. |
Examples of Cocci of bacteria are- Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus pyogenes, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Staphylococcus aureus, etc. | Examples of Bacillus bacteria are- Bacillus thuringiensis, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, Lactobacillus, etc. |
Note: The other types of bacteria found are-
1)Vibrio- These are comma-shaped bacteria and are gram-negative. Example- Vibrio cholerae.
2)Spirilla- These are spiral-shaped bacteria and are gram-negative. Example- Campylobacter jejuni.
3)Spirochete- These are corkscrew-shaped bacteria and are gram-negative. Example- Spirochaeta.
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