Lactobacillus

Lactobacillus is a genus of Gram-positive, rod-shaped bacteria that ferment sugars into lactic acid. In 2020, its former broad classification was divided into multiple genera.

Lactic acid fermentation: A metabolic process that converts sugars into lactic acid while regenerating NAD⁺. This is the central pathway by which Lactobacillus species produce lactic acid.
Yogurt: A fermented milk food produced by bacterial cultures that acidify milk. Lactobacillus species are used in some yogurt cultures to ferment milk sugars.
Carl von Linné: A Swedish botanist who established the modern system of binomial nomenclature. The genus name follows the naming system Linné helped establish.
Bifidobacterium: A genus of Gram-positive bacteria common in animal digestive tracts and used in some fermented foods. It is another widely used beneficial bacterium, but belongs to a different bacterial lineage.
Homolactic fermentation: A fermentation pathway in which glucose is converted mainly into lactic acid. Many Lactobacillus species use this pathway to make lactic acid as their main product.
Sauerkraut: A fermented cabbage food preserved through microbial acidification. Lactobacillus species contribute to the succession of acid-producing microbes during fermentation.
Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology: A reference work that classifies bacteria using their shared characteristics and evolutionary relationships. Its classification framework documented the broad genus before the 2020 reorganization.
Streptococcus thermophilus: A lactic acid bacterium used with other microbes to ferment milk into yogurt. It often shares yogurt cultures with Lactobacillus but has a different genus and cell shape.
Heterolactic fermentation: A fermentation pathway that produces lactic acid alongside products such as carbon dioxide, ethanol, or acetate. Some members produce several fermentation products rather than lactic acid alone.
Sourdough: A fermented dough made with a community of yeasts and lactic acid bacteria. Lactobacillus species can supply acidity and flavor in sourdough communities.

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