stäbchenartiga

Stäbchenartiga, or rod-shaped, is a descriptive term used in microbiology to describe microorganisms whose cells are cylindrical and longer than wide. In Swedish microbiology, stäbchenartiga refers to bacillary morphology, as opposed to coccoid (spherical) or spirillar (spiral) forms. The term is most commonly applied to bacteria, but archaea can also exhibit rod-like shapes.

Rod-shaped cells can be straight or curved and vary in length. They may occur singly or in groups such as pairs, chains, or biofilms. The shape arises from the cell wall architecture and cytoskeletal proteins such as MreB, and it can influence growth, motility, and surface interactions.

In taxonomy and identification, morphology is a helpful initial clue but not definitive. Many clinically important bacteria are rods; the group includes both Gram-positive and Gram-negative species. Gram-positive rods include Bacillus and Clostridium, whereas Gram-negative rods include Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Pseudomonas, and Klebsiella. Some species are nonmotile; others possess flagella.

Environmental and clinical contexts illustrate the breadth of stäbchenartiga bacteria: environmental nitrogen-fixers, gut commensals, and pathogens. Shape alone cannot determine species; molecular methods such as 16S rRNA sequencing or whole-genome analysis are used for precise classification.

Overall, stäbchenartiga describes a common bacterial morphology with wide relevance in microbiology, ecology, and medicine, reflecting how cell shape relates to function and adaptation.