proteus bacteria are well known to be associated with urinary tract infections and stone formation .
this study examines the origin of the word proteus which dates back to mythological times .
the word has many historical and literary connections and this article aims to describe the evolution of the nomenclature from 800 bc to its present - day usage .
we contacted professors of greek and latin mythology at the university college london ( ucl ) , who provided valuable resources .
the curator at the british museum , london , was approached and provided images of items of archeological interest .
proteus was first discovered by gustav hauser [ figure 1 ] , a german pathologist , in 1885 . accounting for more than 90% of proteus infections ,
the ability of proteus mirabilis to differentiate from short vegetative swimmer cells to an elongated , highly flagellated swarmer form is a distinctive feature of this organism , originally noted by hauser in 1885 .
it has a swarming growth and adhesion factors which make it extremely sticky and motile .
the success of proteus mirabilis as a bacteria is based upon its ability to evade the host 's immune system and avoid capture .
gustav hauser ( german pathologist ) [ image obtained from wikipedia  available at : http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/category:gustav_hauser ] gustav hauser obtained his inspiration for the name proteus from the epic tale odyssey written by the famous greek poet homer in the 8c entury bc .
the story begins on the island of pharos , which lies at the north coast of egypt , near alexandria , and it was here that the famous lighthouse at pharos once stood , one of the ancient wonders of the world .
it was on the island of pharos that proteus [ figures 2 and 3 ] , the sea god , lived .
proteus had the ability to change shape and form to avoid capture by his enemy , hence the name given to the bacteria .
figure 4 shows one of the earliest depictions of proteus , found on an archaic black figure amphora , which was made in athens 520 bc .
( the digital images were obtained courtesy of the curator at the british museum , london . )
sixteenth - century woodcut of proteus , the sea god [ image obtained from wikipedia  available at : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/file:proteus-alciato.gif ] seventeenth - century german image of proteus , the sea god [ image obtained from wikipedia  available at : http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/ file : hoellischer_proteus.jpg ] one of the earliest depictions of proteus , found on an archaic black figure amphora , made in athens , 520 bc ( the digital images were obtained courtesy of the curator at the british museum , london ) proteus was the son of the great sea god , poseidon , master of the seas .
menelaus was a trojan warrior looking to return from troy , however , the winds were so fierce he was unable to get his ship back out onto the seas .
he met a sea nymph , eidothea , daughter of proteus , who took pity upon him and he asked her 
goddess , whoever you may be , i must have offended the gods and why have they thwarted my journey ? 
if you can ambush and capture proteus , the ancient sea god , he will give you your answer .
he will seek to foil you by taking the shape of every creature that moves on earth , and of water and of portentous fire ; but you must hold him unflinchingly  .
so menelaus hid in wait on a beach where he knew proteus would arrive to come and count his seals .
proteus , true to his name , changed his form from a bearded lion , to a snake , a panther , a monstrous boar and even running water , and then to a leafy tree .
menelaus held on undismayed and proteus eventually tired , at which point proteus spoke , 
you must make choice offerings to zeus to reach your own country soonest over the wine - dark sea  .
menelaus followed proteus instructions and soon returned home.[46 ] moving to the 15 century ad , william shakespeare named one of his main characters proteus , in the play , the two gentleman of verona .
the great bard chose the name proteus because the character was of changeable affection . at the start of the play ,
his best friend , valentine , is in love with sylvia and later on , upon setting eyes on sylvia , proteus instantly falls in love with her .
julia dresses in boy 's clothes and spies on proteus and towards the end of the play , when she reveals herself , proteus , true to his name , changes his affections once again and vows fidelity to julia again .
in 1802 , he composed the sonnet ,  the world is too much with us  , in which he feels humanity has distanced itself from nature and become absorbed in materialism .
he wishes that he were raised according to a different vision of the world , in which he might see images of ancient gods rising from the seas .
the word  proteus  has been incorporated into present - day usage in the english language .
protean  as meaning  to be able to change frequently or easily ; to be adaptable or versatile  .
famous naval ships have been named after the ancient sea god , such as uss proteus ( as-19 ) , which was launched in 1942 and served in the united states navy and hms proteus , which was launched in 1929 and served in the royal navy .
proteus is also the name given to a new generation of wave adaptive modular vessels ( wam - v ) based on patented technology developed by marine advanced research , inc .
this flexible catamaran is unlike conventional boats which force the water to conform to their hull , instead proteus wam - v adjusts to the surface of the water .
he spent his early years in leicester , but unable to get work due to his disfiguring deformities , he became a travelling exhibit , where people would pay to see him .
his condition has been a source of curiosity for medical professionals and it was initially thought he had von recklinghausen 's disease . in 1986 , michael cohen described his condition as 
the elephant man [ image obtained from wikipedia  available at : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/joseph_ merrick ] the term proteus syndrome was coined by wiedemann et al . , in 1983 to identify a disorder with protean manifestations including partial gigantism of the hands or feet , asymmetry of the arms and legs , skin overgrowth , atypical bone development and variable tumours over half the body .
protea , one of the oldest families of flowers on earth , dating back 300 million years , was also named after proteus , son of poseidon . in the same manner
in which proteus , the sea god , could change his shape , the protea flower presents itself in an astounding variety of shapes , sizes , hues and textures to make up more than 1,400 varieties . with its mythological associations with change and transformation , it is fitting that in the language of flowers , protea symbolizes diversity and courage .
proteus is the name given to an award - winning theatre company , which believes the audience is as important as the artist in creating a truly dynamic theatre experience .
the website title reads ,  proteus , the changing shape of theatre , and the company has a 30-year history of creating quality work , which collaborates with artists , often from different disciplines ( e.g. photography , film , dance , music ) , in producing unique performance pieces .
their work has been shown in empty shop units , projected onto buildings , and played over sound systems in the streets .
proteus , also known as neptune viii , is the second largest neptunian moon , and neptune 's largest inner satellite .
discovered by voyager 2 spacecraft in 1989 , it is more than 400 km in diameter , has an irregular shape with several concave facets and its largest crater measuring more than 200 km in diameter .
proteus was the name given to a marvel comics character , also known as mutant x and featuring in the x - men comics .
aptly named , proteus was a mutant possessing the ability to manipulate and alter reality , allowing him to transmute matter and bend the laws of physics according to his imagination
this brings us back full circle to proteus mirabilis , which has a  swarming growth and it is this quality that is fairly unique to the bacterial genus proteus .
it forms highly elongated rods with thousands of flagella that translocate across the surface of agar plates .
there are other genera which can swarm but species like proteus mirabilis form concentric circles instead of dendritic patterns on agar plates .
there are various mechanisms by which proteus mirabilis can also evade the host defenses and some of these mechanisms may also be seen in other bacteria too .
the first is production of an iga - degrading protease which cleaves the host 's iga antibody .
it also has unique flagellin genes , which can recombine and form novel flagella capable of tricking the host 's defenses . through the expression of the mr / p fimbriae , which undergo a process called phase variation
urease encourages struvite stone formation , which can allow the bacteria to reside within the stone , protected from antibiotic attack .
almost 125 years on from its first discovery by hauser , the full genome sequence of proteus mirabilis was completed on 28 march 2008 by melanie pearson identifying more than 3,658 coding sequences with seven rrna loci .
complete genome sequence of uropathogenic proteus mirabilis , a master of both adherence and motility .
proteus was first discovered by gustav hauser [ figure 1 ] , a german pathologist , in 1885 . accounting for more than 90% of proteus infections ,
the ability of proteus mirabilis to differentiate from short vegetative swimmer cells to an elongated , highly flagellated swarmer form is a distinctive feature of this organism , originally noted by hauser in 1885 .
it has a swarming growth and adhesion factors which make it extremely sticky and motile .
the success of proteus mirabilis as a bacteria is based upon its ability to evade the host 's immune system and avoid capture .
gustav hauser ( german pathologist ) [ image obtained from wikipedia  available at : http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/category:gustav_hauser ] gustav hauser obtained his inspiration for the name proteus from the epic tale odyssey written by the famous greek poet homer in the 8c entury bc .
the story begins on the island of pharos , which lies at the north coast of egypt , near alexandria , and it was here that the famous lighthouse at pharos once stood , one of the ancient wonders of the world .
it was on the island of pharos that proteus [ figures 2 and 3 ] , the sea god , lived .
proteus had the ability to change shape and form to avoid capture by his enemy , hence the name given to the bacteria .
figure 4 shows one of the earliest depictions of proteus , found on an archaic black figure amphora , which was made in athens 520 bc .
( the digital images were obtained courtesy of the curator at the british museum , london . )
sixteenth - century woodcut of proteus , the sea god [ image obtained from wikipedia  available at : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/file:proteus-alciato.gif ] seventeenth - century german image of proteus , the sea god [ image obtained from wikipedia  available at : http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/ file : hoellischer_proteus.jpg ] one of the earliest depictions of proteus , found on an archaic black figure amphora , made in athens , 520 bc ( the digital images were obtained courtesy of the curator at the british museum , london ) proteus was the son of the great sea god , poseidon , master of the seas .
menelaus was a trojan warrior looking to return from troy , however , the winds were so fierce he was unable to get his ship back out onto the seas .
he met a sea nymph , eidothea , daughter of proteus , who took pity upon him and he asked her 
goddess , whoever you may be , i must have offended the gods and why have they thwarted my journey ? 
if you can ambush and capture proteus , the ancient sea god , he will give you your answer .
he will seek to foil you by taking the shape of every creature that moves on earth , and of water and of portentous fire ; but you must hold him unflinchingly  .
so menelaus hid in wait on a beach where he knew proteus would arrive to come and count his seals .
proteus , true to his name , changed his form from a bearded lion , to a snake , a panther , a monstrous boar and even running water , and then to a leafy tree .
menelaus held on undismayed and proteus eventually tired , at which point proteus spoke , 
you must make choice offerings to zeus to reach your own country soonest over the wine - dark sea  .
menelaus followed proteus instructions and soon returned home.[46 ] moving to the 15 century ad , william shakespeare named one of his main characters proteus , in the play , the two gentleman of verona .
the great bard chose the name proteus because the character was of changeable affection . at the start of the play ,
his best friend , valentine , is in love with sylvia and later on , upon setting eyes on sylvia , proteus instantly falls in love with her .
julia dresses in boy 's clothes and spies on proteus and towards the end of the play , when she reveals herself , proteus , true to his name , changes his affections once again and vows fidelity to julia again .
in 1802 , he composed the sonnet ,  the world is too much with us  , in which he feels humanity has distanced itself from nature and become absorbed in materialism .
he wishes that he were raised according to a different vision of the world , in which he might see images of ancient gods rising from the seas .
the word  proteus  has been incorporated into present - day usage in the english language .
protean  as meaning  to be able to change frequently or easily ; to be adaptable or versatile  .
famous naval ships have been named after the ancient sea god , such as uss proteus ( as-19 ) , which was launched in 1942 and served in the united states navy and hms proteus , which was launched in 1929 and served in the royal navy .
proteus is also the name given to a new generation of wave adaptive modular vessels ( wam - v ) based on patented technology developed by marine advanced research , inc .
this flexible catamaran is unlike conventional boats which force the water to conform to their hull , instead proteus wam - v adjusts to the surface of the water .
he spent his early years in leicester , but unable to get work due to his disfiguring deformities , he became a travelling exhibit , where people would pay to see him .
his condition has been a source of curiosity for medical professionals and it was initially thought he had von recklinghausen 's disease . in 1986 , michael cohen described his condition as 
the elephant man [ image obtained from wikipedia  available at : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/joseph_ merrick ] the term proteus syndrome was coined by wiedemann et al . , in 1983 to identify a disorder with protean manifestations including partial gigantism of the hands or feet , asymmetry of the arms and legs , skin overgrowth , atypical bone development and variable tumours over half the body .
protea , one of the oldest families of flowers on earth , dating back 300 million years , was also named after proteus , son of poseidon . in the same manner
in which proteus , the sea god , could change his shape , the protea flower presents itself in an astounding variety of shapes , sizes , hues and textures to make up more than 1,400 varieties . with its mythological associations with change and transformation , it is fitting that in the language of flowers , protea symbolizes diversity and courage .
proteus is the name given to an award - winning theatre company , which believes the audience is as important as the artist in creating a truly dynamic theatre experience .
the website title reads ,  proteus , the changing shape of theatre , and the company has a 30-year history of creating quality work , which collaborates with artists , often from different disciplines ( e.g. photography , film , dance , music ) , in producing unique performance pieces .
their work has been shown in empty shop units , projected onto buildings , and played over sound systems in the streets .
proteus , also known as neptune viii , is the second largest neptunian moon , and neptune 's largest inner satellite .
discovered by voyager 2 spacecraft in 1989 , it is more than 400 km in diameter , has an irregular shape with several concave facets and its largest crater measuring more than 200 km in diameter .
proteus was the name given to a marvel comics character , also known as mutant x and featuring in the x - men comics .
aptly named , proteus was a mutant possessing the ability to manipulate and alter reality , allowing him to transmute matter and bend the laws of physics according to his imagination
this brings us back full circle to proteus mirabilis , which has a  swarming growth and it is this quality that is fairly unique to the bacterial genus proteus .
it forms highly elongated rods with thousands of flagella that translocate across the surface of agar plates .
there are other genera which can swarm but species like proteus mirabilis form concentric circles instead of dendritic patterns on agar plates .
there are various mechanisms by which proteus mirabilis can also evade the host defenses and some of these mechanisms may also be seen in other bacteria too .
the first is production of an iga - degrading protease which cleaves the host 's iga antibody .
it also has unique flagellin genes , which can recombine and form novel flagella capable of tricking the host 's defenses . through the expression of the mr / p fimbriae , which undergo a process called phase variation
urease encourages struvite stone formation , which can allow the bacteria to reside within the stone , protected from antibiotic attack .
almost 125 years on from its first discovery by hauser , the full genome sequence of proteus mirabilis was completed on 28 march 2008 by melanie pearson identifying more than 3,658 coding sequences with seven rrna loci .
complete genome sequence of uropathogenic proteus mirabilis , a master of both adherence and motility .
proteus was first discovered by gustav hauser [ figure 1 ] , a german pathologist , in 1885 . accounting for more than 90% of proteus infections ,
the ability of proteus mirabilis to differentiate from short vegetative swimmer cells to an elongated , highly flagellated swarmer form is a distinctive feature of this organism , originally noted by hauser in 1885 .
it has a swarming growth and adhesion factors which make it extremely sticky and motile .
the success of proteus mirabilis as a bacteria is based upon its ability to evade the host 's immune system and avoid capture .
gustav hauser ( german pathologist ) [ image obtained from wikipedia  available at : http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/category:gustav_hauser ] gustav hauser obtained his inspiration for the name proteus from the epic tale odyssey written by the famous greek poet homer in the 8c entury bc .
the story begins on the island of pharos , which lies at the north coast of egypt , near alexandria , and it was here that the famous lighthouse at pharos once stood , one of the ancient wonders of the world .
it was on the island of pharos that proteus [ figures 2 and 3 ] , the sea god , lived .
proteus had the ability to change shape and form to avoid capture by his enemy , hence the name given to the bacteria .
figure 4 shows one of the earliest depictions of proteus , found on an archaic black figure amphora , which was made in athens 520 bc .
( the digital images were obtained courtesy of the curator at the british museum , london . )
sixteenth - century woodcut of proteus , the sea god [ image obtained from wikipedia  available at : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/file:proteus-alciato.gif ] seventeenth - century german image of proteus , the sea god [ image obtained from wikipedia  available at : http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/ file : hoellischer_proteus.jpg ] one of the earliest depictions of proteus , found on an archaic black figure amphora , made in athens , 520 bc ( the digital images were obtained courtesy of the curator at the british museum , london ) proteus was the son of the great sea god , poseidon , master of the seas .
menelaus was a trojan warrior looking to return from troy , however , the winds were so fierce he was unable to get his ship back out onto the seas .
he met a sea nymph , eidothea , daughter of proteus , who took pity upon him and he asked her 
goddess , whoever you may be , i must have offended the gods and why have they thwarted my journey ? 
if you can ambush and capture proteus , the ancient sea god , he will give you your answer .
he will seek to foil you by taking the shape of every creature that moves on earth , and of water and of portentous fire ; but you must hold him unflinchingly  .
so menelaus hid in wait on a beach where he knew proteus would arrive to come and count his seals .
proteus , true to his name , changed his form from a bearded lion , to a snake , a panther , a monstrous boar and even running water , and then to a leafy tree .
menelaus held on undismayed and proteus eventually tired , at which point proteus spoke , 
you must make choice offerings to zeus to reach your own country soonest over the wine - dark sea  .
moving to the 15 century ad , william shakespeare named one of his main characters proteus , in the play , the two gentleman of verona .
the great bard chose the name proteus because the character was of changeable affection . at the start of the play ,
his best friend , valentine , is in love with sylvia and later on , upon setting eyes on sylvia , proteus instantly falls in love with her .
julia dresses in boy 's clothes and spies on proteus and towards the end of the play , when she reveals herself , proteus , true to his name , changes his affections once again and vows fidelity to julia again .
william wordsworth was a major english romantic poet . in 1802 , he composed the sonnet ,  the world is too much with us  , in which he feels humanity has distanced itself from nature and become absorbed in materialism .
he wishes that he were raised according to a different vision of the world , in which he might see images of ancient gods rising from the seas .
the word  proteus  has been incorporated into present - day usage in the english language .
protean  as meaning  to be able to change frequently or easily ; to be adaptable or versatile  .
famous naval ships have been named after the ancient sea god , such as uss proteus ( as-19 ) , which was launched in 1942 and served in the united states navy and hms proteus , which was launched in 1929 and served in the royal navy .
proteus is also the name given to a new generation of wave adaptive modular vessels ( wam - v ) based on patented technology developed by marine advanced research , inc .
this flexible catamaran is unlike conventional boats which force the water to conform to their hull , instead proteus wam - v adjusts to the surface of the water .
he spent his early years in leicester , but unable to get work due to his disfiguring deformities , he became a travelling exhibit , where people would pay to see him .
his condition has been a source of curiosity for medical professionals and it was initially thought he had von recklinghausen 's disease . in 1986 , michael cohen described his condition as 
proteus syndrome. joseph carey merrick , also known as  the elephant man [ image obtained from wikipedia  available at : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/joseph_ merrick ] the term proteus syndrome was coined by wiedemann et al . , in 1983 to identify a disorder with protean manifestations including partial gigantism of the hands or feet , asymmetry of the arms and legs , skin overgrowth , atypical bone development and variable tumours over half the body .
protea , one of the oldest families of flowers on earth , dating back 300 million years , was also named after proteus , son of poseidon . in the same manner
in which proteus , the sea god , could change his shape , the protea flower presents itself in an astounding variety of shapes , sizes , hues and textures to make up more than 1,400 varieties . with its mythological associations with change and transformation , it is fitting that in the language of flowers , protea symbolizes diversity and courage .
proteus is the name given to an award - winning theatre company , which believes the audience is as important as the artist in creating a truly dynamic theatre experience .
the website title reads ,  proteus , the changing shape of theatre , and the company has a 30-year history of creating quality work , which collaborates with artists , often from different disciplines ( e.g. photography , film , dance , music ) , in producing unique performance pieces .
their work has been shown in empty shop units , projected onto buildings , and played over sound systems in the streets .
proteus , also known as neptune viii , is the second largest neptunian moon , and neptune 's largest inner satellite .
discovered by voyager 2 spacecraft in 1989 , it is more than 400 km in diameter , has an irregular shape with several concave facets and its largest crater measuring more than 200 km in diameter .
proteus was the name given to a marvel comics character , also known as mutant x and featuring in the x - men comics .
aptly named , proteus was a mutant possessing the ability to manipulate and alter reality , allowing him to transmute matter and bend the laws of physics according to his imagination
this brings us back full circle to proteus mirabilis , which has a  swarming growth and it is this quality that is fairly unique to the bacterial genus proteus .
it forms highly elongated rods with thousands of flagella that translocate across the surface of agar plates .
there are other genera which can swarm but species like proteus mirabilis form concentric circles instead of dendritic patterns on agar plates .
there are various mechanisms by which proteus mirabilis can also evade the host defenses and some of these mechanisms may also be seen in other bacteria too .
the first is production of an iga - degrading protease which cleaves the host 's iga antibody .
it also has unique flagellin genes , which can recombine and form novel flagella capable of tricking the host 's defenses . through the expression of the mr / p fimbriae , which undergo a process called phase variation
urease encourages struvite stone formation , which can allow the bacteria to reside within the stone , protected from antibiotic attack .
almost 125 years on from its first discovery by hauser , the full genome sequence of proteus mirabilis was completed on 28 march 2008 by melanie pearson identifying more than 3,658 coding sequences with seven rrna loci .
complete genome sequence of uropathogenic proteus mirabilis , a master of both adherence and motility .
proteus  , the bacteria we treat on a day - to - day basis may be seen in a different light .
ranging from its colourful historical references and literary connections , we have shown that the derivation of this word and its present - day usage is deeply entrenched in and stems from it true mythological origin .
 aims : it is common knowledge that proteus bacteria are associated with urinary tract infections and urinary stones . 
 far more interesting however , is the derivation of the word proteus . 
 this study examines the origin of the word proteus , its mythological , historical and literary connections and evolution to present - day usage.materials and methods : a detailed search for primary and secondary sources was undertaken using the library and internet.results:greek mythology describes proteus as an early sea - god , noted for being versatile and capable of assuming many different forms . in the 8th century bc , the ancient greek poet , homer , famous for his epic poems 
 the iliad and odyssey , describes proteus as a prophetic old sea - god , and herdsman of the seals of poseidon , god of the sea . 
 shakespeare re - introduced proteus into english literature , in the 15th century ad , in the comedy the two gentleman of verona , as one of his main characters who is inconstant with his affections . 
 the  
 elephant man was afflicted by a severely disfiguring disease , described as  
 proteus syndrome. it is particularly difficult to distinguish from neurofibromatosis , due to its various forms in different individuals . 
 the oxford english dictionary defines the word  
 protean as to mean changeable , variable , and existing in multiple forms . 
 proteus bacteria directly derive their name from the sea god , due to their rapid swarming growth and motility on agar plates . they demonstrate versatility by secreting enzymes , which allow them to evade the host 's defense systems.conclusions:thus proteus , true to its name , 
 has had a myriad of connotations over the centuries . 
INTRODUCTION
MATERIALS AND METHODS
RESULTS
None
Greek mythology
Literature
Naval
Medical
Symbolism and other associations
Proteus Mirabilis
CONCLUSION