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Lactobacillus acidophilus

Lactobacillus acidophilus

4.1
A helpful kind of bacteria that lives in the gut and is in yogurt and probiotic supplements
  • noun
  • /ˌlæktoʊbəˈsɪləs ˌæsɪˈdɒfɪləs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : Lactobacillus acidophilus
  • In yogurt production, the bacterium Lactobacillus acidophilus is essential for fermentation.

Examples

  • Fermented foods like yogurt often contain Lactobacillus acidophilus, which benefits digestion.

  • Such foods usually contain the bacteria Lactobacillus acidophilus, which can prevent yeast growth.

    Blog text (29)

  • One commonly known probiotic, Lactobacillus acidophilus, is naturally present in foods such as yogurt, grains, and meat products.

    Academic text (2004)

  • Many probiotic supplements include Lactobacillus acidophilus to promote gut health.

Synonyms

acidophilus
vsLactobacillus acidophilus
  • Specialized
1 8.4

A good bacterium added to yogurt and supplements to help digestion

is the scientific species name for that gut bacterium used in yogurt and supplements

Surface Forms

Lactobacillus acidophilus singular
Lactobacillus acidophili singular

Morphology

Lactobacillus + acidophilus

This is a compositional Latin binomial: 'Lactobacillus' denotes a lactic-acid-producing bacterial genus and 'acidophilus' denotes the species (literally acid-loving / a probiotic bacterium). A B1 learner who already knows both constituent meanings can readily infer it refers to a species of bacterium used in yogurt and probiotics; the naming convention is scientific and cross-linguistically consistent rather than idiomatic.

Etymology

Lactobacillus acidophilus gets its name from simple parts: 'lacto' means 'milk', 'bacillus' means 'little rod', and 'acidophilus' means 'acid-loving'. So imagine tiny rod-shaped bacteria that live in milk and like acid, and that picture explains why they are used in yogurt and live in the gut.