How Do You Name Microbes

The current nomenclature for bacterial species requires a capital letter for the genus name and an epithet beginning by a lowercase letter for the species name [7]. Genera and epithet should be Latin or Latinized; the specific epithet is an adjective that must agree with the gender of the generic name [7].

How do bacteria get named?

Bacterial names are based on the binomial system: the first name is the genus, the second name is the species. When written, the genus name is capitalized and the species name is not. Both genus and species names are italicized (e.g., Escherichia coli). A genus is a group of related species.

How are bacteria classified and named?

Bacteria are classified into five groups according to their basic shapes: spherical (cocci), rod (bacilli), spiral (spirilla), comma (vibrios) or corkscrew (spirochaetes). They can exist as single cells, in pairs, chains or clusters. Bacteria are found in every habitat on Earth: soil, rock, oceans and even arctic snow.