When you are referring to bacteria in writing intended for the general public, it is best to use common names if possible. However, you may need to use a scientific name to be sure that you specify a particular species of bacterium. Modern scientific names, also referred to as binomial nomenclature, are derived from Latin and composed of two parts: The name of the genus to which the organism belongs, and the name of the species that describes the specific organism to which you are referring.
Instructions
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1
Begin your scientific name with the name of the genus to which the species belongs. Capitalize the first letter. For example: Escherichia
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2
End your scientific name with the name of the species. The species name should not be capitalized. For example: Escherichia coli
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3
Italicize the full scientific name.
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4
Abbreviate the name of the genus if you are using it for a second or subsequent time. For example: E. coli