Escherichia coli facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Escherichia coli |
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E. coli
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| Escherichia coli (Migula 1895) Castellani and Chalmers 1919
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Escherichia coli or E. coli is a bacterium that can be found in human intestines. Scientists have studied E. coli a lot, and know more about how E. coli cells work than any other organism. E. coli is not always harmful. In fact, the only known harmful strand is O157. E.coli is a prokaryotic organism.
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. 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.
The best treatment for E. coli is plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration.
Images for kids
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Model of successive binary fission in E. coli
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E. coli on sheep blood agar.
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E. coli growing on basic cultivation media.
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An image of E. coli using early electron microscopy.
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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.
See also
In Spanish: Escherichia coli para niños
