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The spirochaetes are a phylum of distinctive bacteria, which have long, helically coiled cells. They are distinguished by the presence
of flagella running lengthwise between the cell membrane and cell wall, called
axial filaments. These cause a twisting motion which allows the spirochaete to move about. Most spirochaetes are
free-living and anaerobic, but there are numerous exceptions.
It has been suggested by Lynn Margulis that eukaryotic flagella
were derived from symbiotic spirochaetes, but few
biologists accept this, as there is no close structural similarity between the two.
The only class of the spirochaetes phylum is
spirochaetes. The only order is
spirochaetales. There are three families,
brachyspiraceae, leptospiraceae and spirochaetaceae. Important members of this
phylum include
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