Long,slender,helically curved,gram-negative bacilli with tight coils are identified as belonging to which species?
A)Treponema
B)Leptospira
C)Borrelia
D)Coxiella

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

These spirochetes are all long,slender,helically curved,gram-negative bacilli,with the unusual morphologic features of axial fibrils and an outer sheath.These fibrils,or axial filaments,are flagella-like organelles that wrap around the bacteria's cell wall,are enclosed within the outer sheath,and facilitate the motility of the organisms.The fibrils are attached in the cell wall by platelike structures,called insertion disks,located near the ends of the cells.The protoplasmic cylinder gyrates around the fibrils,causing bacterial movement to appear similar to a corkscrew winding.Treponema are slender with tight coils;Borrelia are somewhat thicker with fewer and looser coils;and Leptospira resemble Borrelia except for their hooked ends.

Long,slender,helically Curved,gram-Negative Bacilli with Tight Coils Are Identified as Belonging