Bacillus (shape)

A bacillus (plural bacilli) is a rod-shaped cylindrical bacterium.[1] Bacilli are found in many different taxonomic groups of bacteria.

When the name Bacillus is capitalized and italicized, it refers to a specific genus of bacteria.[2]

If it is not capitalized or italicized the name refers to any rod-shaped bacterium.[2]

A typical bacillus, Gram stained: click for enlarged view

There is no connection between the shape of a bacterium and its colors in the gram staining. In other words, some of them are gram negative and some are gram positive.

References

S. Srivastava; Prem S. Srivastava, Understanding Bacteria (Dordrecht; Boston; London: Kluwer Academic Publishing, 2003), p. 61
Paul G. Engelkirk; et al 2011. Burton's microbiology for the health sciences. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, p. 53.

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[1] S. Srivastava; Prem S. Srivastava, Understanding Bacteria (Dordrecht; Boston; London: Kluwer Academic Publishing, 2003), p. 61

[Engelkirk53-2] Paul G. Engelkirk; et al 2011. Burton's microbiology for the health sciences. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, p. 53.