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Glite Dictionary
Spirillaceae

Spirillaceae

9.9
A group of bacteria with long, stiff bodies shaped like a spiral
  • noun
  • /spɪrɪˈleɪʃiˌi/
  • Specialized
: Spirillaceae
  • The Spirillaceae family includes several bacteria noted for their distinctive spiral shape.

Examples

  • Scientists studied Spirillaceae under the microscope to better understand their unique movement.

  • Most members of the Spirillaceae are found in aquatic environments rich in organic matter.

  • The Spirillaceae family includes several unique species.

  • Researchers are studying the Spirillaceae to understand their behavior.

  • Most members of the Spirillaceae are found in aquatic environments rich in organic matter.

  • Scientists studied Spirillaceae under the microscope to better understand their unique movement.

  • The Spirillaceae family includes several bacteria noted for their distinctive spiral shape.

Surface Forms

Spirillaceae singular
Spirillaceae plural

Morphology

Spirillaceae = Spirillum (semi-transparent) = spirill + aceae

Formed from the genus name 'Spirillum' plus the taxonomic family suffix '-aceae'; the morphological relation is regular but understanding requires knowledge of scientific naming conventions.

Etymology

Spirillaceae comes from the Latin spirilla, meaning 'small spiral', plus the scientific family ending -aceae. Think of the English word spiral: these bacteria are long and twisted like a spiral, so the name means a family of spiral-shaped bacteria.