HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Bryant, M. P. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Bryant, M. P.

Symposium on Microbial Digestion in Ruminants: Identification of Groups of Anaerobic Bacteria Active in the Rumen¹

United States Department of Agriculture

Abstract

A complete ecological analysis of the rumen microbial population is necessary for a more complete understanding of ruminant metabolism. The identification of the individual species is an important part of this analysis. The identification of most functional, non-sporeforming, anaerobic, rumen bacteria is difficult because they are difficult to grow, because of wide variations in some morphological, physiological and other features within species, because we do not have enough data on enough features or on enough strains to establish the degree of intra-species variation, and because workers have often used poor methods and inadequate controls in establishing their features. The same points apply to the classification and identification of many similar non-rumen organisms.

Some of the more useful groups of features in their identification on the bases of present information (in approximate order of utility) are morphology, fermentation products, energy sources, certain nutritional features, cultural, serological, and other physiological features. Some pitfalls to be avoided in determining features and some suggestions for future work have been indicated.

¹ Presented at 54th meeting of the American Society of Animal Science, November 24, 1962.

² Dairy Cattle Research Branch, AHRD, ARS, ARC, Beltsville, Maryland.