Skip to content
PetriKey

Bacterium

Clostridium perfringens

Anaerobic spore-forming rod

klos-TRID-ee-um per-FRIN-jenz

Gram positivebacteriagram-positiverodanaerobesporetoxin

High-yield clue

Spore-forming anaerobic rod + alpha-toxin vocabulary.

Overview

A spore-forming anaerobic rod used to connect toxin vocabulary, tissue-damage educational cases, and Clostridium comparison.

Classification

  • Gram-positive
  • Rod
  • Anaerobe
  • Spore-former

Lab & identification clues

  • Double-zone hemolysis vocabulary
  • Spore-forming rod concept
  • Anaerobe vocabulary

Associations

  • Gas gangrene vocabulary
  • Food poisoning vocabulary
  • Clostridium comparison drills

Commonly confused with

  • Clostridioides difficile
  • Clostridium tetani
  • Bacillus species

Frequently asked questions

What is Clostridium perfringens?

A spore-forming anaerobic rod used to connect toxin vocabulary, tissue-damage educational cases, and Clostridium comparison.

What is the Gram stain of Clostridium perfringens?

Clostridium perfringens is Gram positive.

What are the lab clues for Clostridium perfringens?

Lab clues for Clostridium perfringens include Double-zone hemolysis vocabulary, Spore-forming rod concept, and Anaerobe vocabulary.

What is Clostridium perfringens commonly confused with?

Clostridium perfringens is commonly confused with Clostridioides difficile, Clostridium tetani, and Bacillus species.

Original student-study summary. Sources checked: OpenStax Microbiology 2e, NCBI Bookshelf Medical Microbiology, and CDC topic pages where applicable; reviewed 2026-06. Educational only; no diagnosis, treatment, dosing, or specimen-handling guidance.

OpenStax: Microbiology 2e organism classification foundations - sourceNCBI Bookshelf: Medical Microbiology organism chapters - sourceCDC: CDC disease and public-health topic pages - source