SPIRILLUM


Meaning of SPIRILLUM in English

n.

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.

Britannica Concise Encyclopedia.      Краткая энциклопедия Британика.