Wikipedia:POTD column/September 19, 2006



Low-temperature scanning electron micrograph of a cluster of E. coli bacteria, magnified 10,000 times. Each individual cell is oblong, 1-2 µm in length and 0.1-0.5 µm in diameter. E. coli is one of the main species of bacteria that live in the lower intestines of mammals. They are necessary for the proper digestion of food and are part of the intestinal flora.

credit: Eric Erbe and Christopher Pooley, USDA Archive - More featured pictures...