Home/Science&Nature/Science/Biology/Microbiology/DifferenceBetweenSpirillaandSpirochetesKeyDifference–SpirillavsSpirochetes MicroorganismsaremainlyclassifiedasBacteria,Cyanobacteria,Fungi,andProtists.Bacteriaarefurtherclassifiedonthebasisoftheirshape,nutritionalpatterns,andmetaboliccharacteristics.Basedontheshape,therearetwomaingenerathatbelongtothespiral-shapedbacterianamelySpirillaandSpirochetes.Spirillaarespiral-shapedbacteriathathavearigidcellwallandutilizepolarflagellaforitslocomotion.Spirochetesarespiral-shapedbacteriathathaveaflexiblecellwallandpossessaxialfilamentsforitsmotility.ThekeydifferencebetweentheSpirillaandSpirochetesarebasedontheirdifferentstructuresutilizedformotility.Spirillapossesspolarflagella,whereasSpirochetespossessaxialfilamentsfortheirneedoflocomotion.CONTENTS1.OverviewandKeyDifference2.WhatareSpirilla3.WhatareSpirochetes4.SimilaritiesBetweenSpirillaandSpirochetes5.SidebySideComparison–SpirillavsSpirochetesinTabularForm6.SummaryWhatareSpirilla?Spirilla(singular–Spirillum)arespiral-shapedbacteriaof1.4–1.7micrometersindiameterand60micrometersinlength.Spirillaaregram-negative,chemoorganotrophicbacteria.Spirillacanbefoundinfreshwaterandtheycanalsoactasbiologicalindicatorsofwaterpollution.Thesespiralshapesbacteriahavearigidcellwallstructures.Thestoragegranulesarecomposedofvolutin,whichareintracytoplasmicorganicgranulescomplexedwithinorganicphosphates.Volutinssubstitutethepolybeta-hydroxybutyrategranulesfoundcommonlyinbacteria.Thelocomotionofthespirillaspeciesisadistinguishingfactorfromotherspiral-shapedbacteriasuchasSpirochetes.Theypossesspolarflagellaforlocomotion.Initially,itwasthoughtthatspirillaarecomposedofonepolarflagellafascicle.Atpresentsomespeciesarethoughttohavemultipleflagellafascicles.Thesemultipleflagellafasciclesaggregatetoformoneflagellum.Duringthestainingprocess,usually,onlyoneflagellumisobservedinSpirilla.TheflagellaofSpirillumspansforalengthofabout3micrometersandisnearlyonewaveinlength.Themechanismofthebipolarflagellamovementi