Plural of colicin; multiple antibacterial proteins or toxins produced by E. coli bacteria to inhibit other bacteria.
Standard English pluralization of 'colicin' by adding '-s.' The singular term emerged from bacteriological research in the mid-20th century.
Different colicins attack bacteria in different ways—some puncture membranes, others damage DNA—showing that bacteria have evolved multiple 'strategies' for chemical warfare, like an antibiotic arsenal!
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