Maryhelen's Notes!

About the site:

    Content:

1. Classification – Aerobic/Anaerobic; Formal scientific name (anything interesting about name?)

2. Gram stain – Is the bacteria gram – or gram +

3. Structure – shape; cell wall; internal structures; flagella present? Spore forming (endospores)?

4. Habitat – where would you find this bacterium?

5. Nutritional Requirements – Heterotrophic? Autotrophic? Chemoautotrophic?

6. Reproduction – Description of its asexual and sexual reproductive strategies

7. History – When discovered; interesting historical information dealing with your bacteria.

8. Beneficial properties – How is this bacteria helpful to humans, other animals, plants, fungus, protista?

9. Problems associated with the loss of bacteria in the environment?

10. Interesting or unusual facts about your bacteria.

11. Recent scientific and/or medical research dealing with this bacteria?

12. Add more with Rita

     

Bifidobacterium:

5. Description and Significance

   -Bifidobacteria are called probiotics.

   - natural part of the bacterial flora in the human body

   - symbiotic bacteria-host relationship with humans

   -B. longum promotes good digestion, boosts the immune system, and produces lactic and acetic acid that controls intestinal pH

    

   Genome Structure??

   - circular chromosome- Bifidobacterium longum has a genome approximately 2,260,000 bp in length with a 60% G-C content

    

   Cell Structure and Metabolism

6. Gram-positive

7. anaerobic, branched rod-shaped

8. In the intestines, they ferment sugars to produce lactic acid.

9.  able to use "nondigestible" plant polymers or host-derived glycoproteins and glycoconjugates

10. it is thought that Bifidobacterium's ability to compete with other gastrointestinal bacteria and occupy a large percentage in the bacterial flora of the gastrointestinal region might be partly due to the large variety of molecules that it is able to use for energy 

11. Bifidobacteria - hexose metabolism that occurs through a phosphoketolase pathway, called the bifid shunt, uses the key enzyme frutose-6-phosphate phosphoketolase and is the generally used as a diagnostic test for this Bifidobacteria because it's not found in other gram-positive intestinal bacteria.

Ecology

1. Infants- bifidobacterium infantis, B. brevi, and B. longum- largest group of bacteria in the intestine

2. Bifidobacteria-  the 3rd or 4th largest group in adults

3. Bifidobacteria decline in numbers with age

4.  In infants who are breast-fed, Bifidobacteria constitute about 90% of their intestinal bacteria

5. this number is lower in bottle-fed infants.

6. When breast-fed infants' change to cows milk and solid food, Bifidobacteria are joined by rising numbers of other bacteria found in the human body- Bacteroides and Streptococci lactobacilli.

7. Lower Bifidobacteria in formula-fed babies might account for a higher risk of diarrhea and allergies- usually associated with babies not breast-fed

8.  Bifidobacteria produces lactic acid instead of gas

9. More Bifido less gas and digestive problems.

10. Bifidobacteria  can be found in fermented dairy foods especially yogurt

11. Eating substances rich with these probiotics- home remedy for diarrhea, vaginitis, and yeast infections- it promotes the growth of these as opposed to other bacteria

12. B. infantis has been proven to dramatically reduce irritable bowel sydrome (IBS) in patients and if given alone can Probiotics are live microbial food supplements or components of bacteria

1.  alter the enteric microflora and have a beneficial effect on health

2.  The most frequently used genera are Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria

3.  The potential mechanisms of their action include competitive bacterial interactions, production of antimicrobial metabolites, mucosal conditioning, and immune modulation.

4. The emerging use of probiotics in several gastrointestinal disorders has led to increased interest in their use in patients with IBS.

Importance:

        - Have a symbiotic host- bacteria relationship with humans

        - Has been shown to alleviate symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease

        - Bifidobacteria help maintain a healthy balance of intestinal flora by producing organic compounds which contain lactic acid, hydrogen peroxide, and acetic acid that increase the acidity of the intestine and curb the           reproduction of many harmful bacteria

        - pretty much bifidobacterium is very good

Probiotics

1. Probiotics have been studied for more than a century and are becoming increasingly popular around the world

2.  probiotics are those added to foods like the new yogurts and yogurt drinks specifically for their probiotic effect

3.  Probiotic supplements also are available as tablets and capsules.

What are probiotics?

1. The word “probiotic” literally means “for life.”  

2. digestive tracts- contain different types of bacteria

3. consuming probiotic cultures- way to encourage a favorable balance of the cultures in the digestive tract.

How do probiotics work?

1. One benefit is supporting a healthy immune system.

2. About 70% of the cells of immune system are found in the digestive tract- central part of the body’s immune system

3. the immune system maintainins natural protective barriers that help block unwelcome elements from entering our bodies.important protective barrier is the lining of the digestive tract- and one way to help support this protective barrier is to increase the levels of beneficial cultures in the digestive tract

4.  Beneficial cultures compete with unwelcome elements to help prevent them from entering our bodies through the lining of the digestive track

5.