[Morphology of the bifidobacteria by light and electron microscopy and their biological properties]

The morphology and the acid-producing, antagonistic and enzymatic activity of the strains of bifidobacteria isolated from the intestine of adults and children were studied. Bifidobacteria showed a considerable polymorphism, all the strains were antagonistically active. The strains isolated from adults were found to have greater acid-producing activity; the predominant species were B. longum and B. adolescentis, and in children B. bifidum were also isolated. The characteristic feature of B. longum strains was the presence of a slime-like layer and formations resembling bubbles around bacterial cells. The stains with greater physiological activity were found to have an extensive mesosomal complex, as well as a great number of volutin granules.