Blow up a long balloon and two things happen: it gets longer and it gets wider. Now imagine a living cell that inflates itself under enormous pressure and yet only grows longer, never adding width.

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. The tiny world of microorganisms is full of microbes competing in ...

Bacteria come in all shapes and sizes -- some are straight as a rod, others twist like a corkscrew. Shape plays an important role in how bacteria infiltrate and attack cells in the body. The helical ...

Bacteria come in a wide variety of shapes, which are important for their fitness in their respective ecological niches. However, despite intensive research, the factors that determine the shape of ...

Bacteria come in a surprising variety of shapes: the more commonly known are coccus, bacillus. But curved cell shapes are also widespread among bacteria and important for cellular motility, virulence, ...