MORPHOLOGY OF BACTERIA 



15 



Fig. 4. 



Small Bacilli 



After Giinthei. 



spirilla, the division is always at right angles to the loiir 



axis. With the cocci, 



the plane of division 



may have any direction, 



since all axes are equal. 

 Cell reproduction in 



the mullirelliilar forms 



of life results in an in- 

 crease in the size of the 



individual: in the uni- 

 cellular forms it results 



in multiplication of the 



number off individuals. 



Immediately after cell 



division, the daughter 



cells are much smaller 



than the original mother cell at the time division be<ran. 



They increase rapidly 

 in size; to this process 

 the term growth can 

 be applied. Commonly 

 one speaks of the growth 

 of bacteria when repro- 

 duction is referred to. 



The generation period, 

 in the case of bacteria, 

 is the time required for 

 a mature cell to divide 

 and for the resulting 



cells to reach maturity. 

 Fijr. 5. Spirilla 



The organism causing Asiatic cholera, fre- 



With many forms of 

 bacteria it requires only 

 a short time for the 

 process of division to be completed; in some instances it 



quently called the comma bacillus 

 After Giinther. 



