WAGblog

Lyme spirochete is a corkscrew-like bacterium

This is the corkscrew-like bacterium or spirochaete of Lyme Disease. The other famous spirochaete disease is syphilis, which is often itself treated with long term-antibiotics, a good model for Lyme treatment. My personal question concerns the corkscrew morphology: does it somehow aid the bacterium in penetrating the tissue more easily? Is it significant in terms of function? Would the spirochete form indicate anything special about its particular habit or "tastes" so to speak. I wonder...