Escherichia

/ˌɛskəˈrɪkiə/ noun

Definition

A genus of bacteria, most famous for the species E. coli, commonly found in the guts of mammals and sometimes responsible for food poisoning.

Etymology

Named after Theodor Escherich, a 19th-century German pediatrician who first described the bacterium in 1885. The Latinized genus name follows biological naming conventions.

Kelly Says

E. coli gets a bad reputation for causing food poisoning, but most strains are harmless and essential—your gut bacteria include trillions of them helping you digest food!

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