Menu

The phylum Bacteroidetes is a large, diverse group of bacteria composed of three large classes that are found across every habitat on Earth including in soil, in sediments, sea water and in the guts and on the skin of animals. The group is composed of around 7000 sub-groups split into six catagories: Bacteroidia, Chitinophagia, Flavobacteria, Sphingobacteria, Saprospiria and Cytophagia.

Bacteroidetes have many roles but primarily breakdown large organic matter such as proteins and complex sugars into smaller molecules. Members of Bacteroidetes can be both helpful and unhelpful to humans to humans and plants. Some members are involved in metabolism and breaking down food. On the other hand, some members are pathogenic, they cause disease in humans. Members of the genus Bacteroides are opportunistic pathogens. Rarely are members of the other two classes pathogenic to humans.