Kationisella

Kationisella is a fictional genus of unicellular microorganisms used in textbooks and online tutorials to illustrate bacterial taxonomy and the concept of nomenclature. It is not a real taxon and has no official standing in current databases.

Taxonomy and naming: The genus is presented as belonging to the hypothetical family Kationisellaceae within an imagined order Kationiales. The name combines a root related to cations with the diminutive suffix -ella, signaling a tiny cell in pedagogical examples.

Description: In the fictional accounts, Kationisella cells are small, typically 0.6–2.0 μm in length, occurring in rod- or coccoid-shaped forms. They are described as non-motile and to display a Gram-negative reaction in standard staining protocols used in teaching demonstrations. They form pale, convex colonies on hypothetical nutrient media.

Physiology and metabolism: The organism is depicted as a chemoorganoheterotroph capable of utilizing simple sugars and organic acids. It is described as facultatively aerobic, with an imagined optimum growth range around 20–30°C in freshwater-like environments. In educational scenarios, it may form biofilms on mineral surfaces within simulated systems.

Habitat and ecology: In the fictional setting, Kationisella inhabits freshwater sediments and low-nutrient aquatic environments. Its ecological role is presented as a minor contributor to organic matter turnover and as a tool for illustrating microbial interactions and biofilm formation in introductory microbiology.

Discovery and use: The genus is introduced to demonstrate how new taxa are named and described and to emphasize the importance of verifying taxa against authoritative databases before using them in scientific communication.