Lactobacillaceae

A family of anaerobic to facultatively anaerobic, ordinarily nonmotile bacteria (order Eubacteriales) containing straight or curved, Gram-positive rods which usually occur singly or in chains; motile cells are peritrichous. These organisms have complex organic nutritional requirements; they produce lactic acid from carbohydrates. They are found in fermenting animal and plant products where carbohydrates are available; they are also found in the mouth, vagina, and intestinal tract of various warm-blooded animals, including humans. Only a few species are pathogenic. The type genus is Lactobacillus, which contains 56 species.

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Lac·to·bac·il·la·ce·ae .lak-tō-.bas-ə-'lā-sē-.ē n pl a large family of rod-shaped or spherical gram-negative bacteria that are usu. nonmotile and require little or no oxygen, that do not form spores, that require carbohydrates for growth and ferment them chiefly to lactic acid, and that include the lactic acid bacteria see LACTOBACILLUS

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Lac·to·bac·il·la·ceae (lak″to-bas″ĭ-laґse-e) a family of bacteria of the order Lactobacillales, consisting of gram-positive, asporogenous, straight or curved rods occurring singly or in chains. Medically important organisms are contained in the genus Lactobacillus.