muttereilla

Muttereilla is a fictional genus of bacteria created for educational and illustrative purposes in this article. It is not a real taxon and has no verified isolation or description in scientific databases. In the hypothetical scenario, Muttereilla is described as a small, Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium that inhabits a simulated mammalian gut environment and is capable of facultative anaerobic growth on standard laboratory media.

Taxonomy and naming: In this construct, the genus is placed within Bacteria, with an unsettled placement at higher taxonomic levels to emphasize how taxonomic relationships are revised with new data. The name combines roots from the German word Mutti (mother) and the diminutive -ella, coined by a fictional microbiologist to illustrate naming conventions.

Morphology and physiology: Reported features include cells around 0.6–1.0 μm long, motile by a single polar flagellum, and pale, convex colonies on agar. Metabolic traits are described as flexible, with the ability to ferment select carbohydrates and produce short-chain fatty acids in anaerobic conditions; however, these traits are part of the fictional profile used for teaching.

Ecology and use: Muttereilla is described as part of a hypothetical gut microbiome, highlighting symbiotic and competitive interactions that can shape community structure. The organism is often used in textbooks to illustrate concepts of phylogeny, nomenclature, and the distinction between fictional examples and empirically verified taxa.

See also: Fictional organisms, Microbiology education, Taxonomy.