Bifidobacteria are Gram-positive, anaerobic, nonmotile, and non spore forming.[14] The characteristic rod or clubbed shape of Bifidobacterium bifidum varies from 0.5-1.3 μm x 1.5-8 μm. They can be found either living independently or associated in clusters and V-shaped pairs. These bacteria are commonly found curved and in a branched conformation. Bifidobacterium bifidum ferments oligosaccarides in the gastrointestinal tract. Approximately 10% of the total Bifidobacterium bifidum is used to help the body properly breakdown and adsorb sugar. It does this by coding for ABC transporters, permeases, and proton symporters as opposed to phosphoenolpyruvate-phosphotransferase systems.
Bifidobacteria constitute approximately 90% of the microbiota found in the intestines of breast-fed infants. Infants delivered via caesarean section and who are formula fed as opposed to vaginally delivered and breast-fed have significantly lower gut populations of bifidobacteria.The specific breakdown of bifidobacterial species varies but the major contributors include: B. brevi, B. longum, B. pseudocatenulatum, B. adolescentis, B. pseudolongum, and B. bifidum.The number of bifidobacteria in the fecal flora of adults, however, is much lower around 3-6%. Numerous studies have been conducted that illustrate a variance of gut microbiota both by subject as well as with subject age. Bifidobacterium bifidum is also found, although to a much lesser extent, in breast milk, the mouth, and the vagina.
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