Which of the following is the correct way to write the scientific name of the bacterium Escherichia coli?

• A. Escherichia coli
• B. Escherichia Coli
• C. ESCHERICHIA COLI
• D. escherichia coli

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that the scientific naming of bacteria follows the binomial nomenclature system, which includes the genus name followed by the species name.
2. Recall the formatting rules: the genus name is always capitalized, and the species name is always lowercase.
3. Both genus and species names should be italicized when typed or underlined when handwritten to indicate their Latin origin.
4. Apply these rules to the bacterium in question: the genus is 'Escherichia' (capitalized) and the species is 'coli' (lowercase).
5. Therefore, the correct way to write the scientific name is: \(\textit{Escherichia coli}\), with the genus capitalized, species lowercase, and both italicized.