bacilli: rod-shaped
cocci: spherical
spirilla: curved walls
ability to form spores
method of energy production (glycolysis for anaerobes, cellular respiration for aerobes
nutritional requirements
reaction to the Gram stain.
Some rod-shaped bacteria, called vibrio, are slightly curved or comma-shaped; others, can be spiral-shaped, called spirilla, or tightly coiled, called spirochetes. A small number of species even have tetrahedral or cuboidal shapes.
Bacteria typically have one of three shapes: rods (bacilli), spheres (cocci) or spiral (spirilla). These shaps are shown in Figures 7 and 8. Unicellular, they often stick together forming clumps or filaments.
Some prokaryotic cells have external whip-like flagella for locomotion or hair like pili for adhesion. Prokaryotic cells come in multiple shapes: cocci (round), baccilli (rods), and spirilla or spirochetes (helical cells).
 See also: Chloroplast, Chloroplasts, Membrane, Cyanobacteria, Organ
  
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