In 1838, Christian Gottfried #Ehrenberg, #naturalist 🌿, #zoologist 🦊, comparative #anatomist 🧠, #geologist 🏔, and #microscopist 🔬, coined the term ‘#bacterium’. Derived from the #Greek word baktḗria, meaning ‘little stick’, it was a catch-all to label the rod-shaped #cells he saw under his #microscope.⠀ ⠀ We now know that #bacteria vary in shape and size. They can be #spirals 🌀, rods, and ovals. They’re microscopic (typically 1.0–5.0 micrometres in length). They’re #single-celled and reproduce by fissure (splitting apart). They’re #prokaryotes, meaning they do NOT have:⠀ ⠀ 1. #nucleus⠀ 2. #mitochondria⠀ 3. #organelles ⠀ ⠀ It’s actually quite impressive what they can do with seemingly so little. 😯⠀ ⠀ ______________⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ Source | Die Infusionsthierchen als Vollkommene Organismen. Ein Blick in Das Tiefere Organische Leben der Natur. Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg. Leipzig. 1838.