Coccus - wikipedia Coccus For the genus of scale insects, see Coccus ( insect ). `` Cocci '' redirects here. For the fungal disease, see Coccidioidomycosis. Staphylococcus bacteria A coccus ( plural cocci ) is any bacterium that has a spherical, ovoid, or generally round shape. It is one of the three distinct bacterial shapes, the other two being bacillus ( rod - shaped ) and spiral - shaped cells. Cocci is an English loanword of a modern or neo-Latin noun, which in turn stems from the Greek masculine noun kokkos ( κόκκος ) meaning `` berry ''. Arrangements Cocci may occur as single cells or remain attached following cell division. Those that remain attached can be classified based on cellular arrangement : Diplococci are pairs of cocci ( e.g. Streptococcus pneumoniae and Neisseria gonorrhoeae ) Streptococci are chains of cocci ( e.g. Streptococcus pyogenes ). Staphylococci are irregular ( grape - like ) clusters of cocci ( e.g. Staphylococcus aureus ). Tetrads are clusters of four cocci arranged within the same plane ( e.g. Micrococcus sp. ). Sarcina is a genus of bacteria that are found in cuboidal arrangements of eight cocci. References ^ Jump up to : Pommerville, J.C. ( 2013 ). Fundamentals of Microbiology ( 10th ed. ). Sudbury, MA : Jones & Bartlett. p. 106. ISBN 9781449647964. Jump up ^ κόκκος. Liddell, Henry George ; Scott, Robert ; A Greek -- English Lexicon at the Perseus Project Microbiology : Bacteria Medical microbiology infection Coley 's toxins Exotoxin Lysogenic cycle Pathogenic bacteria resistance Biochemistry and ecology Oxygen preference Aerobic Obligate Anaerobic Facultative Obligate Microaerophile Nanaerobe Aerotolerant Other Microbial metabolism Primary nutritional groups Nitrogen fixation Microbial ecology Human flora Gut Lung Mouth Skin Vaginal ( In pregnancy ) Placental Uterine Salivary Substrate preference Lipophilic Saccharophilic Shape Bacterial cellular morphologies L - form bacteria Coccus Diplococcus Bacillus Coccobacillus Spiral Structure Cell envelope Cell membrane Cell wall : Peptidoglycan NAM NAG DAP Gram - positive bacteria only : Teichoic acid Lipoteichoic acid Endospore Gram - negative bacteria only : Bacterial outer membrane Porin Lipopolysaccharide Periplasmic space Mycobacteria only : Arabinogalactan Mycolic acid Outside envelope Bacterial capsule Slime layer S - layer Glycocalyx Pilus Fimbria Non-motile bacteria Composite Biofilm Taxonomy Bacteria ( classifications ) Bacterial phyla Former groupings : Schizomycetes Monera Prokaryota Gracilicutes Firmicutes Mollicutes Mendosicutes Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Coccus&oldid=802976510 '' Categories : Bacteria Hidden categories : Articles containing Ancient Greek - language text Use dmy dates from June 2011 Talk About Wikipedia Afrikaans Български Català Čeština Dansk Deutsch Español فارسی Français Gaeilge Galego Հայերեն Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית Lietuvių Nederlands 日本 語 Plattdüütsch Polski Português Română Русский Scots Simple English Slovenčina Slovenščina Suomi Svenska தமிழ் తెలుగు Türkçe Українська 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 29 September 2017, at 17 : 49. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: the term coccus describes a bacterial shape that is
Answer: spherical, ovoid, or generally round shape