Escherichia coli
Escherichia coli or E. coli is a bacterium that lives in the intestines[1] of people and other warm-blooded animals. Scientists have studied E. coli a lot, and know more about how E. coli cells work than any other organism. E. coli is usually not harmful. In fact, the only known harmful strain is O156.[1] E.coli is a prokaryotic organism.
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| Species: | E. coli
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| Escherichia coli (Migula 1895) Castellani and Chalmers 1919
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E. coli normally grow in soil and in the large intestines of many mammals, including humans. Most strains of E. coli do not cause disease, but instead help animals get vitamins and digest food. Some strains of E. coli cause sickness in people. E. coli are not usually in food or water. When food has not been prepared with clean equipment, E. coli can grow in the food. When E. coli are found in water, this may mean that the water has touched sewage.
It is named after Theodor Escherich, who discovered it in 1885.[1] It was officially named after him in 1919.
Signs and symptoms of E. coli infection
The following signs and symptoms of an E. coli infection normally happen within three days; however, some people may carry the infection and show no signs at all.[1]
The best treatment for E. coli is plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration.
Escherichia Coli Media
Model of successive binary fission in E. coli
Redistribution of fluxes between the three primary glucose catabolic pathways: EMPP (red), EDP (blue), and OPPP (orange) via the knockout of pfkA and overexpression of EDP genes (edd and eda).
A colony of E. coli growing
E. coli on sheep blood agar.
E. coli growing on basic cultivation media.
Scanning electron micrograph of an E. coli colony.
An image of E. coli using early electron microscopy.
Escherichia coli bacterium, 2021, Illustration by David S. Goodsell, RCSB Protein Data BankThis painting shows a cross-section through an Escherichia coli cell.
Helium ion microscopy image showing T4 phage infecting E. coli. Some of the attached phage have contracted tails indicating that they have injected their DNA into the host. The bacterial cells are ~ 0.5 µm wide.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Nordqvist, Christian (21 April 2007). "What Is E. Coli? (Escherichia Coli)". Medical News Today. Retrieved 27 March 2012.