Streptococcus pneumoniae in sputum. Pneumococcs morphology and appearance under the microscope. Gram-stained smear of sputum. Sputum of a patient with pneumococcal pneumonia. A micrograph of pneumococcus in sputum of a patient with pneumonia.

streptococcus pneumoniae in sputum morphology

Encapsulated pneumococci in sputum (indicated with arrows). Notice the clear zone around blue stained bacterial cells caused by the presence of a polysaccharide capsule. In the picture you can also see an epithelial cell (large cell in the center) and leucocytes. In the right bottom is a detail of pneumococci arranged in a short chain of ovoid (lanceolate) cocci. Gram stain, magnification ×1000.