Streptococcus pneumoniae, also known as “pneumococcus” is a gram-positive, non-motile, facultatively anaerobic, diplococcal, hemolytic bacterium of the phylum Firmicutes.
Figure 1 — streptococcus pneumoniae
Hemolysis
Modes of hemolysis differ in pneumococcus depending on environment:
α-Hemolysis or “Green Hemolysis” — pneumococcus is α-hemolytic under aerobic conditons.
β-Hemolysis or “Green Hemolysis” — pneumococcus is β-hemolytic
