Spirilla are spiraled, coiled, corkscrew-shaped bacterial cells that cause which diseases?

Spirilla are spiraled, coiled, corkscrew-shaped bacterial cells that cause which diseases?

• A. Syphilis
• B. Malaria
• C. Influenza
• D. Tuberculosis

Answer: (A)

Spiral-shaped bacteria with a corkscrew form, like the spirochete Treponema pallidum, are linked to syphilis. That distinctive helical shape helps these bacteria move through tissues, which is a trait of the organisms that cause syphilis. The other options aren’t caused by spiral bacteria: malaria comes from a protozoan parasite (Plasmodium), influenza from a virus, and tuberculosis from a rod-shaped bacterium (Mycobacterium tuberculosis). So the disease associated with spiral-shaped bacteria in this set is syphilis.

Spiral-shaped bacteria with a corkscrew form, like the spirochete Treponema pallidum, are linked to syphilis. That distinctive helical shape helps these bacteria move through tissues, which is a trait of the organisms that cause syphilis. The other options aren’t caused by spiral bacteria: malaria comes from a protozoan parasite (Plasmodium), influenza from a virus, and tuberculosis from a rod-shaped bacterium (Mycobacterium tuberculosis). So the disease associated with spiral-shaped bacteria in this set is syphilis.