Plural of corynebacterium; a group of rod-shaped bacteria that can cause diseases in humans and animals, including diphtheria.
From Greek koryne (club or rod-like shape) plus bacteria. Named for their distinctive club-shaped or rod-like appearance under a microscope, observed in the 19th century.
Corynebacteria look like tiny clubs under a microscope, which is exactly why they're called 'koryne'—Greek for 'club.' What's wild is that before we could see germs, doctors didn't know *why* diphtheria killed so many children; once we saw the bacteria's shape, we could start understanding the disease. Shape led to science.
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