In: Biology
Why is it important to characterize different strains of a particular species? E. coli, for example.
It is important to characterise different strains of particular
species for the benefit of microbiologists and scientists.
IT is necessary so that scientists can discuss about the species
without mentioning the characteristics.
They are characterised on basis of biochemical and other
phenotypic criteria and by DNA relatedness(on basis of genetic
similarity).
Within same speicies the strains differ by the types of diseases
the cause, what is there environmental habitat and many other
physiological characters so strains are grouped on basis of large
number of phenotypic characters.
For example while grouping of stains microbiologists are interested
in serotype, antimicrobial resistance pattern, and toxin and
invasiveness factors in Escherichia coli, whereas
geneticists are concerned with specific mutations and
plasmids.
So in all it is an easy way for microbiologists to communicate
among themselves using different strains.