MORPHOLOGY. 



normal resistive power is absent, on the othei 

 hand is not able successfully to fight disease- 

 producing germs which invade it at one point 

 or another, they overcome weakened resistive 

 forces, increase and multiply within the body, 

 and we become victims of the disease the special 

 form of bacteria present produces. 



There are two methods of multiplication in the 

 bacterial world — ^fission and spore formation. 



The method by which micro-cocci and ' 



spirilla multiply is termed fission; fission ir Fission, 

 common everyday language means simply di- 

 vision. They rapidly separate or divide intc 

 a number of sections, each of which soon leaves 

 the parent cell, and in turn divides into othei 

 sections or parts. The micro-cocci before 

 fission takes place elongate or lengthen out. 

 they then divide in the center, each half agair, 

 divides and these new sections also repeat the 

 process again, and again. In many instances 

 they divide at right angles to the first division 

 and again at right angles, forming in this man 

 ner the groups of two, four, eight and sixteen, 

 which have been mentioned as the "diplococci' 

 "tetrads" and "sarcinae". Those which upor 

 division do not immediately become detached 

 one from the other, but which form into chain- 

 like sections have also been described as bear 

 ing the name of "streptococci." Others again 

 that remain grouped in clusters, we have 

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