Lactobacillus casei is one of the many very helpful bacteria within our bodies. I chose this bacteria because of the many bacteria in the world, many of the well known have a negative effect on animals and humans. I decided that it would be best to explain how L. casei is a very helpful and beneficial bacteria.
L. casei is a genus of Lactobacillus, and is a bacteria found in the intestine and mouth. As a bacteria that produces lactic acid, it helps in multiplying and increasing the number of other desirable bacteria within the host organism. This probiotic - a live microorganism that is beneficial to the host organism - aids in producing L. acidophilus which is another very helpful bacteria within animals and humans that improves digestion reduces lactose intolerance and constipation. L. casei is oftenly used for industrial reasons and is mainly found in dairy products. For example, L. casei is a main component in the ripening of cheddar cheese and is also mainly found in a Japanese drink called Yakult which is something like a fermented milk.
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| SEM image of L. casei |
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| Image of Lactobacillus |
L. casei is a rod shaped bacteria, and contains all the necessary organelles in a prokaryote and can range from anywhere between .5 - 20micrometers. This bacteria contains a flagella, which aids in mobility, a pili which helps to adhesive to other cells, a capsule which sorrounds the cell wall and prevents anything good from leaving the cell and anything bad from entering it. It also consists of a cell wall which aids in the structure of the cell, a cytoplasmic membrane, which is a "strainer" found inside the cell wall that controls what enters and exits the cell, a mesosome, which provides a place for DNA replication, a nucleoid, which is an area that contains most of the DNA, and plasmid, which are smaller regions that contain small amounts of DNA, and a cytoplasm, which is a cell inside the cell membran that contains everything within the cell.
< Structure of a prokaryote (L. casei).
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Hey Cuyler
ReplyDeleteI really like your post. I did L. acidophilus, and I really like how they were related. I think you did a great job explaining the bacterium, and I also like your images. Have you ever had Yakult?
Nice job Cuyler, you really covered everything. It was very specific yet easy to understand and very informative. Also the pictures really tie into what you're saying. You said Yakult is basically a fermented milk, so does the Lactobacillus casei chemically break down the milk? How does that work?
ReplyDeleteActually Austin, the Lactobacillus casei isn't what breaks down the milk. What the purpose of Yakult is to supply your body with L. casei and other helpful bacteria that help your body break down other cells to help your body function. It is something like an energy drink that gives you good Lactobacillus bacteria to aid in digestion of other bacterias.
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