Which term describes spiral-shaped bacteria?

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Multiple Choice

Which term describes spiral-shaped bacteria?

Explanation:
Think about shape versus arrangement. The prefixes staphylo-, strepto-, and diplo- describe how cells are grouped (clusters, chains, pairs), not their form. Spiral, on the other hand, directly describes the actual shape of the bacteria as wound or coiled. So for spiral-shaped bacteria, the appropriate descriptor is Spiral. (In more detail, spirilla are rigid spirals and spirochetes are flexible spirals, but among the given options Spiral best matches the shape.)

Think about shape versus arrangement. The prefixes staphylo-, strepto-, and diplo- describe how cells are grouped (clusters, chains, pairs), not their form. Spiral, on the other hand, directly describes the actual shape of the bacteria as wound or coiled. So for spiral-shaped bacteria, the appropriate descriptor is Spiral. (In more detail, spirilla are rigid spirals and spirochetes are flexible spirals, but among the given options Spiral best matches the shape.)

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