Structure and Form

C)1969 Thomas Brock~Large sphere of T. Aquaticus culture

    The structure and form of Thermus aquaticus is really quite interesting! For one thing the cell membrane is unusually strong, which has made it resistant to osmotic lysis.  The form of Thermus aquaticus consists of rods and filaments. The rods form extremely long filaments at super optimal temperatures in the stationary phase. All the isolates form large spheres that are larger than a spheroplast! These bacteria are non-sporulating and non-motile, which means they are neither spore forming nor capable of movement. There is no presence of flagella, because they are non-motile. The liquid culture of Thermus aquaticus has a yellow surface pellicle.