How do spirochetes and spirilla differ?
A)Spirochetes do not have a cell wall but spirilla do.
B)Spirilla are found in chains of cells whereas spirochetes exist as individual cells.
C)Spirilla have external flagella but spirochetes have axial filaments.
D)Spirochetes have a rigid,corkscrew shape while spirilla are helical and more flexible.
E)Spirochetes and spirilla are basically the same organisms and the terms can be used interchangeably.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Spirilla have external flagella which they use for motility, while spirochetes have axial filaments which are found beneath their outer membrane and are responsible for their corkscrew-like motion. So, the presence of external flagella in spirilla and the absence of these structures in spirochetes is the key difference between them.

How Do Spirochetes and Spirilla Differ