Commas, Vibrios, Spirilla, and Helicobacters; Tapered and Branched Bacteria

Abstract

A beginning of an understanding of coccal and rod growth and of their shape maintenance has arisen with the development of the surface stress theory. The generation of other shaped bacteria is almost completely obscure, two classes, the curved and irregular shaped, will be considered in this chapter. Molecular biology is making important contributions to the study of cellular shapes. Important advances have come and are enhanced by our ability to label the murein of the walls as a function of its age.