Etymologically the word bacillus comes from the Latin "bacillus" and means rod. A bacillus is a kind of bacteria that has the shape of little rods, this is its main characteristic. And that by entering the body of a living being can cause serious diseases. The most common bacilli are those that cause diseases such as tuberculosis, tetanus, and typhoid fever. These bacteria can live in various environments and can only be visible through a microscope.
The bacillus can be classified as Gram positive bacilli (are purple) and Gram negative bacilli (are pink), also they can be grouped in various ways among which are the coccobacilli, the estreptobacilos and diplobacilli. Bacilli differ from other bacteria by their structure (rods) since generally the shapes of other bacteria are usually spiral or round.
The bacillus that causes tuberculosis is the Koch bacillus and its name is due to the person who discovered it Robert Koch this bacillus is within the group of Gram negative bacilli and the people most prone to contract this bacterium are alcoholics, the elderly and people who suffer from HIV (AIDS), there is also the Aertrycke bacillus which is the one that causes salmonella, this bacterium is transmitted through food such as chicken or raw eggs. On the other hand, there are bacilli that do not cause any harm to people, such as positive Gam bacilli, they are responsible for making products such as yogurt.
