Bacterium
Clostridium tetani
Terminal-spore tetanus rod
klos-TRID-ee-um TET-uh-nye
High-yield clue
Terminal spores give a tennis-racket or drumstick shape, and tetanospasmin blocks release of inhibitory GABA and glycine to cause spastic paralysis.
Overview
An obligate anaerobic, spore-forming Gram-positive rod that produces the neurotoxin tetanospasmin. It is the standard teaching organism for spastic (rigid) paralysis after wound contamination.
Classification
- Gram-positive
- Rod
- Obligate anaerobe
- Spore-forming (terminal endospore)
Lab & identification clues
- Terminal spore 'tennis-racket' appearance
- Obligate anaerobe
- Motile study distinction
- Toxin-mediated disease vocabulary
Associations
- Puncture wound / soil contamination
- Lockjaw (trismus) and risus sardonicus presentation vocabulary
- Spastic paralysis and opisthotonus
Commonly confused with
- Clostridium botulinum
- Clostridium perfringens
Your notes
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.