Coccus

For the genus of scale insects, see Coccus (insect).
"Cocci" redirects here. For the fungal disease, see Coccidioidomycosis.
Staphylococcus bacteria

A coccus (plural cocci) is any bacterium that has a spherical, ovoid, or generally round shape.[1] It is one of the three distinct bacterial shapes, the other two being bacillus (rod-shaped) and spiral-shaped cells.

Coccus is an English loanword of a modern or neo-Latin noun, which in turn stems from the Greek masculine noun kokkos (κόκκος) meaning "berry".[2]

Arrangements

Cocci may occur as single cells or remain attached following cell division. Those that remain attached can be classified based on cellular arrangement:[1]

References

  1. 1 2 Pommerville, J.C. (2013). Fundamentals of Microbiology (10th ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett. p. 106. ISBN 9781449647964.
  2. κόκκος. Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; A Greek–English Lexicon at the Perseus Project
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