Which Clostridium species has a terminal spore that causes the cell to swell and appears drumstick-shaped on Gram stain?

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Multiple Choice

Which Clostridium species has a terminal spore that causes the cell to swell and appears drumstick-shaped on Gram stain?

Explanation:
Endospores location within Gram-positive rods shapes what the cells look like on Gram stain. When a terminal endospore forms at the tip of the cell, it pushes the cell contents and causes the rod to swell at that end, giving a distinctive drumstick-like appearance. This drumstick morphology is the classic hallmark of Clostridium tetani. The other listed Clostridium species form their spores in different positions (not terminal) and do not produce the same swollen, drumstick-shape appearance, so they don’t fit this description. Therefore, the organism that matches this characteristic is Clostridium tetani.

Endospores location within Gram-positive rods shapes what the cells look like on Gram stain. When a terminal endospore forms at the tip of the cell, it pushes the cell contents and causes the rod to swell at that end, giving a distinctive drumstick-like appearance. This drumstick morphology is the classic hallmark of Clostridium tetani.

The other listed Clostridium species form their spores in different positions (not terminal) and do not produce the same swollen, drumstick-shape appearance, so they don’t fit this description. Therefore, the organism that matches this characteristic is Clostridium tetani.

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