stäbchenartigt

Stäbchenartig is a morphological descriptor used in biology to denote an elongated, cylindrical form that resembles a small rod. The term stems from the idea of a “little stick” and is commonly used in German-language scientific writing, and is also understood in related disciplines as the equivalent of “rod-shaped” in English.

In microbiology, stäbchenartig describes bacteria with a rod-like shape, known as bacilli. The category includes straight and slightly curved forms; curved rods are sometimes referred to as vibrios. Rod-shaped bacteria are contrasted with cocci (spherical) and spirilla or spirochetes (spiral). Examples of rod-shaped bacteria include Escherichia coli (a Gram-negative rod) and Bacillus subtilis (a Gram-positive rod). Many bacilli are capable of forming endospores, a feature seen in genera such as Bacillus and Clostridium, which contributes to environmental persistence.

The shape of a bacterium can influence its motility, surface area-to-volume ratio, nutrient uptake, and how it interacts with its surroundings, including tissues and biofilms. However, morphology alone does not determine taxonomy or pathogenic potential; many distinct lineages can share a rod-like form.

Outside microbiology, the descriptor can be used for other elongated particles or structures that resemble rods, such as certain pollen grains, fibers, or synthetic materials, when describing their geometry. Variants and grammatical forms of the term differ with language and context, but the core idea remains the same: a rod-like, elongated shape.