What do Bacteria look like?

Answer 1

Some look like little balls, and some like tiny cylindrical capsules, and still others look like little rods. Some even take the shape of cooked Hot Dogs with a little curve in their length. There are many more shapes, too, and the numbers of different bacteria are huge - many, many tens of thousands.

We're talking about things so small that they can just be seen with optical microscopes. We have to use electron microscopes to view them "up close" because they're so small. Use the links below to look at pictures and learn more.

thay look like little balls

Answer 2

Some look like little balls, and some like tiny cylindrical capsules, and still others look like little rods. Some even take the shape of cooked Hot Dogs with a little curve in their length. There are many more shapes, too, and the numbers of different bacteria are huge - many, many tens of thousands.

We're talking about things so small that they can just be seen with optical microscopes. We have to use electron microscopes to view them "up close" because they're so small. Use the links below to look at pictures and learn more.

thay look like little balls

Answer 3

It is very difficult to tell under natural light observation which bacteria are "good" or "bad". A better distinction is pathogenic or non-pathogenic. Most pathogenic bacteria are gram negative, so a simple way to tell this is to perform a gram stain.

Answer 4

There are different shapes of bacteria. Some bacteria are shaped like little balls, some are like tangled strings. Some bacteria are like capsules, others are like commas.

Some bacteria have a tail, which is called a "flagellum". Flagellums help the bacteria move around.