Q.What are pleomorphic bacteria? Give an example.
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Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →Pleomorphic bacteria show multiple/variable shapes rather than one fixed morphology, typically because they lack a rigid cell wall; Mycoplasma is the classic example.
Most bacteria have a rigid cell wall (made of peptidoglycan/murein) that gives them a fixed, characteristic shape — coccus (spherical), bacillus (rod-shaped), vibrio (comma-shaped), or spirillum (spiral). This fixed shape is maintained because the rigid wall resists changes in cell shape.
Pleomorphic bacteria, in contrast, either lack a cell wall entirely or have a very thin, flexible one. Because there is no rigid structure constraining their shape, these bacteria can assume a variety of forms — spherical, oval, filamentous, or irregular — even within a single population, and their shape can change depending on the surrounding environment/growth conditions. The term 'pleomorphic' literally means 'many forms'.
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