106
Dangerous diseases by viruses affecting humans include Marburg virus diseases,
Ebola, Rabies, AIDS, Smallpox, Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), Influenza,
Table 3.5 Major types of shapes and groups of bacteria
Shape
Term in microbiology Pictorial depiction
Sphere shaped
Coccus
Sphere-shaped bacteria arranged in
pairs
Diplococci
Sphere-shaped bacteria arranged in
chains
Streptococci
Sphere-shaped bacteria arranged in
clusters
Staphylococci
Intermediate shape between spherical
and elongated
Coccobacillus
Rod shaped
Bacillus
Rod-shaped bacteria arranged in pairs Diplobacilli
Rod-shaped bacteria arranged in chains Streptobacilli
Filament shaped
Filamentous
Curved
Curved
Spindle shaped
Fusiform
Spiral form
Spirochete
Fig. 3.8 Chain of
infection
3 Fundamentals of Biology for Environmental and Medical Professionals