All about Spherical Bacteria
When it comes to bacteria, the last thing you think about is shape, but spherical bacteria are interesting and important for you to learn about. Spherical bacteria are related to common illnesses such as strep, toxic shock syndrome, urinary tract infections, pneumonia and it’s also the culprit behind gonorrhea.
Spherical bacteria are different from other types of bacteria because it grows as one cell, or it can grow as a pair. They can also build in chains of four or groups of eight so it can spread rapidly. The bacteria get their name based upon their cell structure, so when looking at it under the microscope it has a rounded shape.
There are six types of spherical bacteria. The first class that we are familiar with is “cocci”. This one is still true to its rounded shape, but may be flat on one side. The “cocci”, may be responsible for some types of viruses as they form, then it will usually build or add more bacteria to it so it looks more like a chain under the microscope.
The second known type is referred to as “diplococci”. These types of bacteria usually remain in pairs even after they have divided. This is the type of bacteria that is linked to gonorrhea. It’s only form of transmission is sexual, and it is considered naturally competent. When a bacterium is naturally competent it means that they need no other agents or chemicals to speed up their growth.
The third known type is called “streptococci”. This is the one we are probably most familiar with as we know it as strep throat. When you have a sore throat and you have those large white patches on your tonsil, that is “streptococci”. This is when the original strain of bacteria is growing into a cluster or group of eight. The only way to get rid of this type of bacteria is through the use of antibiotics. These are what invade the good bacteria in our body and change it. The most common places these bacteria show up are the nose, throat and vagina. In addition to strep throat is can also cause a condition called childbirth fever where bacteria are passed from the mother to the child as they are exiting the birth canal. As these strains of bacteria grow they can turn into rheumatic fever, pneumonia, or even scarlet fever. As you can see these bacteria are important as they play a major role in human disease.
The fourth known type of spherical bacteria is called a “tetrad”. These go back to that original stage we call “cocci”, and they are the strain that fail to separate after they divide. They tend to remain in groups of four and are square shaped.
The fifth type is similar to the “tetrad”, and is referred to as the “sarcinae”. These divide and form into groups of eight and tend to be more cube shaped than the others.
The last group of these bacteria is referred to as “staphylococcus”, and these divde and form into sheets or clumps. This is what we know as a “staph infection”, and is probably identified mostly in nursing homes and hospitals. With the amount of disease that comes in and out of nursing homes and hospitals, washing ones hands is critical. This is why we see the constant reminders to wash our hands everywhere we go, but we can’t force people to do it. The only step we can really take is to educate those around us.
The biggest challenge in fighting these bacteria is the amount of antibiotics that are dispensed. When antibiotics are administered too frequently, the challenge then becomes the immunity that people build up to them. Fighting bacteria is critical from the onset; otherwise it will continue to spread out of control.