bakteerivilin

Bakteerivilin is a fictional bacterium created for educational and outreach purposes in microbiology. In the imagined taxonomy used for teaching, bakteerivilin is a small, rod-shaped organism typically 0.8–1.0 micrometers long with a single polar flagellum that confers motility in aqueous microenvironments. It is described as adaptable to a range of nutrient conditions, from rich media to limited carbon sources, making it suitable for illustrating basic bacterial physiology.

Genetic makeup of bakteerivilin is described as a circular chromosome of about 3.0–3.5 million bases, with several small plasmids responsible for selectable traits in classroom demonstrations. The genome encodes fundamental metabolic pathways, flagellar apparatus, and standard housekeeping genes, with plasmid-borne elements used to demonstrate horizontal gene transfer, antibiotic resistance concepts, and the modular nature of bacterial genomes.

Ecology and behavior: bakteerivilin is depicted as a soil- and freshwater-associated organism that can form biofilms and engage in surface attachment. In teaching scenarios, it participates in conjugation with plasmids, uptake of extracellular DNA, and phage-like interactions shown via simulated lab exercises. These features make bakteerivilin a convenient proxy for exploring microbial ecology and genetic exchange.

Etymology and usage: The name bakteerivilin blends the word for bacteria with a fictional suffix used in education. The organism appears in textbooks, classroom kits, and online tutorials as a neutral, non-pathogenic model to discuss core concepts such as cell structure, metabolism, gene transfer, and genome organization. It is explicitly presented as a hypothetical organism rather than a real microbe.