spirillum

spirillum
—spirillar, adj.
/spuy ril"euhm/, n., pl. spirilla /-ril"euh/. Bacteriol.
1. any of several spirally twisted, aerobic bacteria of the genus Spirillum, certain species of which are pathogenic for humans. See diag. under bacteria.
2. any of various similar microorganisms.
[1870-75; < NL, equiv. to L spir(a) (see SPIRE2) + -illum dim. suffix]

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Any of the spiral-shaped bacteria that make up the genus Spirillum, which are aquatic except for one species that causes a type of rat-bite fever in humans.

The term is used generally for any corkscrewlike species of bacteria (see spirochete). Spirilla are gram-negative (see gram stain) and move by means of tufts of flagella at each end.

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▪ genus of bacteria
      genus of spiral-shaped bacteria of the family Spirillaceae, aquatic except for one species (S. minus) that causes a type of rat-bite fever in man. The term spirillum is used generally for any of the corkscrew-like species.

      Spirillum is microbiologically characterized as a gram-negative, motile helical cell with tufts of whiplike flagella at each end. The helix of the largest spirillum, S. volutans, is 5 to 8 μm (micrometres; 1 μm = 10-6 metre) across by 60 μm long.

      S. minus, found in the blood of apparently healthy mice and rats, can be transmitted to other rodents and to monkeys and man.

      The genera Aquaspirillum and Oceanospirillum have been proposed for the free-living aquatic forms.

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Universalium. 2010.

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