Interesting Facts
What other AMAZING, [insert your own adjective here] things can we learn about E. coli?
![]() Photo from a Public Domain, Retrieved from Wikimedia Commons |
Escherichia coli
was discovered by
Theodor Escherich
in 1885 after isolating it
from the feces of a newborn. At first it was described as
Bacterium coli commune,
but then it was later named
Escherichia coli (named for Escherich... who
would've thought?). It wasn't until 1935, however, that it
was found that E. coli was
the cause of diarrhea in newborns!
Here is a list of some
Biochemical characteristics of E. coli:
Characteristic | Reaction |
Lactose 37oC | Acid+, gas+ |
Lactose 44oC | Acid+, gas+ |
Indole 37oC | Usually produced |
Indole 44oC | Usually produced |
Mannitol Fermentation | +, usually with gas |
Methyl-Red | + |
Voges-Proskauer | - |
Citrate | - |
Urea | No hydrolysis |
H2S | No blackening |
Lysine Decarboxylase | + |
Gelatin Liquefaction | - |
There
are 700
serotypes
of E. coli based on O, H, and K antigens.
Are you
interested in learning more about the
E. coli Genome Project?
Click Here
Here are some more
AWESOME electron microscopy pictures, thanks to Dennis Kunkel.
© Dennis Kunkel
Microscopy, Inc.
Used with permission
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The
author of this site spent ~30 hours on this website (I know that
isn't related to E. coli, but it is interesting).
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©April 2008