∞ generated and posted on 2016.01.14 ∞
The shape of organisms, as viewed on both large and small scales.
Individual cells thus possess morphologies as also do multicellular conglomerations making up both colonies and multicellular organism. Viruses, too, possess morphologies, that is, in terms of their virions.
Contrast physiology, which addresses issue of function, though certainly morphology can play enormous roles in determining function. Indeed, as they say, "Form follows function".
Within bacteriology one recognizes a number of fairly standard cell shapes that one refers to as morphologies. These include coccus, bacillus, vibrio, and spirilla as well as spirochetes, etc.
Also included under the heading of bacterial morphologies are cellular arrangements. Distinct cellular arrangements include diplococci, streptococci, staphylococci, tetrads, and sarcina.