Overview
This is a photomicrograph of the organism that causes pneumococcal pneumonia. The bacteria are round, but join together to form chains. Frequently, these join together to form pairs and are called diplococci; the prefix di means two.
Review Date 9/10/2022
Updated by: Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Associate Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Associate in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.