Chlamydia is a term for a gram-negative bacterium made up of spiral-shaped cells.

Chlamydia is a term for a gram-negative bacterium made up of spiral-shaped cells.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Gram-positive and spiral-shaped
• D. Gram-negative cocci

Answer: (B)

Chlamydia are not spiral-shaped organisms. They are tiny coccoid (oval) bacteria that live inside host cells and exist in two forms: the infectious elementary body and the replicative reticulate body. They are generally described as having a gram-negative–type envelope, but Gram staining is not reliable for them and they have a unique intracellular life cycle. Spiral-shaped bacteria describe organisms like spirochetes, not Chlamydia. So the statement is not correct.

Chlamydia are not spiral-shaped organisms. They are tiny coccoid (oval) bacteria that live inside host cells and exist in two forms: the infectious elementary body and the replicative reticulate body. They are generally described as having a gram-negative–type envelope, but Gram staining is not reliable for them and they have a unique intracellular life cycle. Spiral-shaped bacteria describe organisms like spirochetes, not Chlamydia. So the statement is not correct.