Bacterium Bifidum
Bacterium Bifidum
microbes that constitute 80–90 percent of the intestinal flora in breast-fed children and suckling farm animals. Bacterium bifidum is a gram-positive, slightly bent rod (2–5 microns long), sometimes branching at the ends; it does not form spores. The presence of Bacterium bifidum in the intestine is beneficial to infants and young animals, because it suppresses the development of various septic and pathogenic microbes and promotes the digestion of carbohydrates. Para-aminobenzoic acid and pantothenic acid are necessary for the growth of Bacterium bifidum. Bacterium bifidum manufactures B vitamins (B1, B2 and others) and vitamin K. Upon termination of suckling, the bifid flora are replaced by the intestinal microflora characteristic of adults.