Streptococci are bacteria arranged in curved lines resembling a string of beads.

• A. Staphylococci
• B. Streptococci are arranged in curved lines
• C. Diplococci
• D. Bacilli

Answer: (B)

Cocci arranged in chains are characteristic of streptococci. This chain formation happens because the bacterial cells divide in one plane and remain attached, producing long, sometimes curved lines that look like a string of beads. That curved-chain appearance is the defining clue for identifying streptococci. In contrast, staphylococci divide in multiple planes and form grape-like clusters; diplococci appear as pairs; and bacilli are rod-shaped bacteria. So the curved-chain arrangement described matches streptococci’s typical morphology.