What is Spirochaete?
[[File:Leptospira scanning micrograph.jpg |right| thumb | ''[[Leptospira]]'' spirochaetes under [[scanning electron microscope]]]] '''Spirochaetes''' (or Spirochetes) are the [[phylum]] '''Spirochaetae'''. These are double-membrane [[bacteria]] with long, [[Helix|helically]] coiled (spiral-shaped) cells. Spirochaetes are [[bacteria]]. They have [[flagella]], which run lengthwise between the [[cell wall]] and outer membrane. The flagella cause a twisting motion which moves the spirochaete about. Most spirochaetes are free-living and [[anaerobic]], but there are many [[parasitic]] species. == Classification == The spirochaetes are divided into three families ([[Brachyspiraceae]], [[Leptospiraceae]], and [[Spirochaetaceae]]). They are all put in a single [[order (biology)|order]], the '''Spirochaetales'''. Disease-causing members of this phylum include: * ''[[Leptospira]]'' species, some of which which cause [[leptospirosis]]<ref name=McBride_2005>{{cite journal |author=McBride A. |display-authors = etal |title=Leptospirosis |journal=Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases |volume=18 |issue=5 |pages=376–86 |year=2005 |pmid=16148523 |doi=10.1097/01.qco.0000178824.05715.2c|s2cid = 220576544 }}</ref> * ''[[Borrelia]]'' species, some of which cause [[Lyme disease]] ** ''Borrelia recurrentis'', which causes [[relapsing fever]].<ref name=Schwan_1996>{{cite journal |author=Schwan T |title=Ticks and Borrelia: model systems for investigating pathogen-arthropod interactions |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_infectious-agents-and-disease_1996-06_5_3/page/167 |journal=Infect Agents Dis |volume=5 |issue=3 |pages=167–81 |year=1996 |pmid=8805079}}</ref> * ''[[Treponema pallidum]]'' subspecies which cause [[syphilis]] and [[yaws]]. * ''[[Brachyspira]]'' species, which cause [[intestinal spirochetosis|intestinal spirochaetosis]].<ref name=pmid14718105>{{cite journal |author=Amat Villegas I. |display-authors = etal |title=Colonic spirochetes: an infrequent cause of adult diarrhea |language=Spanish|journal=Gastroenterol Hepa