Figure 3

Bacterial food consumption decreases with age. (A) Fluorescent beads similar in size to bacterial cells are eaten and can be visualized in the intestines of young (day 4 adult) animals (Vis = visible light). (B) The percent of animals consuming a detectable quantity of fluorescent beads decreases with age in control fed (CF) animals. (C) The rate of defecation (average number of defecation cycles per animal in 10 minutes of observation) decreases with age.