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E. Coli |
Classification:
Kingdom: Monera (bacteria)
Phylum: Proteobacteria Class: Gamma Proteobacteria Order: Enterobacteriales (rod-shaped bacteria) Family: Enterobacteriaceae Genus: Escherichia Species: Escherichia coli (E. coli) E. Coli masks! How to make them
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If you could take a microscope to the inside of your lower intestine (ick), you'd probably spot a few Escherichia coli happily swimming around. Most of the time E. Coli are helpful! They process waste and manufacture vitamins that we can't, so we depend on them for good digestion. More recently, though, E. Coli have gotten some bad press. A few strains can make us pretty ill if we eat meat, fruit, or vegetables that have been contaminated. In particular, they can give you diaorrhea and make the inside of your digestive tract bleed, with pretty gross results. It can be really uncomfortable, but most healthy people still don't have too much to worry about: less than 0.5% of cases of even the worst strains are fatal. On the Web:
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