Koch's bacillus

What is that

Koch's bacillus - whose scientific name is Mycobacterium tuberculosis - is the microorganism responsible for tuberculosis, a highly contagious infectious disease which - if not adequately treated - can be lethal.

Koch's bacillus owes its name to the German physician and microbiologist Robert Koch who discovered it in 1882, identifying it as the causative agent of tuberculosis.
Koch's bacillus is a mycobacterium belonging to the Mycobacteriaceae family and - like all bacteria belonging to this genus (Mycobacterium) - is characterized by a particularly complex cell wall rich in lipids.

Features

Koch's bacillus is an asporigenous, immobile and obligate aerobic bacillus. As mentioned, this microorganism has a cell wall with a rather complex structure that gives it different characteristics.