Nivedita Bose and Madhur Gupta Solutions for Chapter: Nutrition in Animals, Exercise 2: Worksheet FA

Read the passage and answer the following questions.

                                                                                    Gut flora

It is now well known that animal intestines contain a large population of gut flora. In humans, these include species such as Bacteroides, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Escherichia coli, among many others. These are essential for digestion. Bacteria in the gut perform many important functions for humans, including breaking down and aiding in the absorption of otherwise indigestible food; stimulating cell growth; repressing the growth of harmful bacteria; training the immune system to respond only to pathogens; producing Vitamin B12 and defending against some infectious diseases. L. acidophilus is a bacterium which ferments sugars into lactic acid, and grows readily at rather low pH values (below pH 5.0) and has an optimum growth temperature of around 37°C. L. acidophilus occurs naturally in the human and animal gastrointestinal tract, mouth and vagina. E. coli is a gram-negative, facultative anaerobic, rod-shaped bacterium that is commonly found in the lower intestine of warm-blooded organisms. Most E. coli strains are harmless, the harmless strains are part of the normal flora of the gut, and can benefit their hosts by producing vitamin K2, and by preventing the establishment of pathogenic bacteria within the intestine.

What useful role do Escherichia coli play inside human beings?

Read the passage and answer the following questions.

                                                                                    Gut flora

It is now well known that animal intestines contain a large population of gut flora. In humans, these include species such as Bacteroides, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Escherichia coli, among many others. These are essential for digestion. Bacteria in the gut perform many important functions for humans, including breaking down and aiding in the absorption of otherwise indigestible food; stimulating cell growth; repressing the growth of harmful bacteria; training the immune system to respond only to pathogens; producing Vitamin B12 and defending against some infectious diseases. L. acidophilus is a bacterium which ferments sugars into lactic acid, and grows readily at rather low pH values (below pH 5.0) and has an optimum growth temperature of around 37°C. L. acidophilus occurs naturally in the human and animal gastrointestinal tract, mouth and vagina. E. coli is a gram-negative, facultative anaerobic, rod-shaped bacterium that is commonly found in the lower intestine of warm-blooded organisms. Most E. coli strains are harmless, the harmless strains are part of the normal flora of the gut, and can benefit their hosts by producing vitamin K2, and by preventing the establishment of pathogenic bacteria within the intestine.

Name the vitamins produced by Lactobacillus acidophilus and E. coli inside the human body.

Read the passage and answer the following questions.

                                                                                    Gut flora

It is now well known that animal intestines contain a large population of gut flora. In humans, these include species such as Bacteroides, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Escherichia coli, among many others. These are essential for digestion. Bacteria in the gut perform many important functions for humans, including breaking down and aiding in the absorption of otherwise indigestible food; stimulating cell growth; repressing the growth of harmful bacteria; training the immune system to respond only to pathogens; producing Vitamin B12 and defending against some infectious diseases. L. acidophilus is a bacterium which ferments sugars into lactic acid, and grows readily at rather low pH values (below pH 5.0) and has an optimum growth temperature of around 37°C. L. acidophilus occurs naturally in the human and animal gastrointestinal tract, mouth and vagina. E. coli is a gram-negative, facultative anaerobic, rod-shaped bacterium that is commonly found in the lower intestine of warm-blooded organisms. Most E. coli strains are harmless, the harmless strains are part of the normal flora of the gut, and can benefit their hosts by producing vitamin K2, and by preventing the establishment of pathogenic bacteria within the intestine.

Find the meanings of the terms gram-negative and anaerobic.

In case of diarrhoea/dysentery, doctor suggests to the patient to have plenty of ORS. Why is it necessary? Can you prepare ORS at home?

Study the digestive system of three different animals; a fish, a bird and a carnivore. Find the similarities and differences between them. Make a presentation.

Make the model of digestive system with waste and inexpensive material. To show its working you could use LEDs.

Find out how obesity is becoming a widespread disease. What are its causes and how it can be cured and prevented? Make a report of your findings.

Study how the digestive system of humans has evolved with the evolution and change in eating habits.