Different Types of Rod Shaped Bacteria
Rod shaped bacteria can be classified based on their cell wall composition and their ability to retain Gram’s stain. This classification groups them into Gram Positive Bacteria and Gram negative Bacteria. Gram positive bacteria retain Grams stain whereas Gram negative bacteria does not retain Gram stain. Further, these groups can be classified into two categories: Aerobic bacteria and Anaerobic bacteria.
Anaerobic and Aerobic Rod Shaped Bacteria
Sporogenous, rod-shaped gram-positive bacteria are primarily categorized into two groups – the aerobic Bacillus and the anaerobic Clostridium. In Clostridium, the spores are broader than their bacterial body, whereas in Bacillus, the spores have the same width as the bacterial body. Non-sporing anaerobes play a significant role in causing infections in both animals and humans. They are predominantly present in areas such as the mouth, oropharynx, genital tracts, and gastrointestinal tracts.
Interestingly, even in seemingly aerobic environments like the skin and mouth, anaerobic bacteria are more prevalent than aerobes. Here are examples of anaerobic and aerobic gram-positive and gram-negative bacilli:
Anaerobic Gram-Positive Bacilli: Few examples are:
- Eubacterium– E. brachy
- Lactobacillus– L. acidophilus
- Bifidobacterium – B. dentium
- Propionibacterium – Cutibacterium acnes
Anaerobic Gram-Negative Bacilli: Few examples are:
- Bacteroides – B. fragilis
- Fusobacterium– F. nucleatum
- Leptotrichia– L. buccalis
Aerobic Gram-Positive Bacilli: Few examples are:
- Bacillus (facultative anaerobes)
- Corynebacterium
- Listeria (facultative anaerobes)
- Nocardia
Aerobic Gram-Negative Bacilli: Few examples are:
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa
- Enterobacter (facultative anaerobes) – Most members of the Enterobacteriaceae family can thrive well in both aerobic and anaerobic conditions.
Also Read: What is Staining?
Rod-Shaped Bacteria
Rod-shaped bacteria, as the term suggests, have a cylindrical structure. They belong to the category of bacilli in bacterial classification. Characteristics of rod-shaped bacteria show their ability to form spores, which gives them an advantage in surviving harsh environments. Rod-shaped bacteria are classified as either Gram-positive or Gram-negative.
There are certain kinds of diseases caused by rod-shaped bacteria like Typhoid, etc. The rod-shaped bacteria examples are Salmonella typhi, Streptobacilluls, Brucella, etc. In this article, we will read about rod-shaped bacteria, their types, examples, and the significance of rod-shaped bacteria.
Table of Content
- What is Rod Shaped Bacteria?
- What are Rod-Shaped Bacteria Classified as?
- Characteristics of Rod Shaped Bacteria
- Different Types of Rod Shaped Bacteria
- Gram Positive Rod-shaped Bacteria Vs Gram-Negative Rod Shaped Bacteria
- Examples of Rod-shaped Bacteria
- Diseases caused by Rod-Shaped Bacteria
- Significance of Rod-Shaped Bacteria
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