Name:	S. pneumoniae
Morphology:	lancet shaped diplococci,
Gram Stain:	Gram-Positive Cocci
Growth Characteristics:	Alpha hemolysis on blood. Colonies are usually dome shaped colonies with depressed center and may appear mucoid.
Test Profile:	Bile soluble. Sensitive to optochin. Catalase negative. PYR negative. Neufeld capsular swelling reaction or quelling reaction is a method used to detect pneumococci in sputum or CSF.
Description:	aerobic. (facultative anaerobe) Number one cause of community acquired pneumoniae. Also causes meningitis, sinusitis, otitis media, mastoiditis, arthritis, peritonitis and conjunctivitis. At least 84 capsular serotypes, disease caused mostly by lower numbers. (Clinical Laboratory Medicine. Kenneth D. McClatchey pp 1117-9)