#bacteroidota

[bacteriashowdown]

Bacteroidota vs. Planctomycetota

Bacteroidota propaganda here

Planctomycetota propaganda here

Bacteroidota vs. Planctomycetota

Bacteroidota

Planctomycetota

Voting ended onMar 8, 2024

[bacteriashowdown]

Bacteroidota

Group: Hydrobacteria; FCB Group

Gram-stain: Negative

Etymology: For Bacteroides fragilis. From the Latin "bacter" and the suffix "-oid", meaning "rod-like"; there are numerous rod-shaped species in this phylum.

About: Bacteroidota is one of the larger and longer-studied bacterial phyla, with the first species being isolated in 1898. It mostly consists of endosymbiotic bacteria found in the digestive systems of animals, but they are also prevalent in soil, and some are halophiles (salt-lovers) that live in a marine environment. The environmental Bacteroidota are known for their ability to break down complex organic compounds, and thus are important in nutrient-cycling.

Bacteroidota have diverse metabolic strategies, and may be aerobic or anaerobic. They are noted for being able to digest complex polysaccharides such as cellulose and starches, and for producing acetic and succinic acid. Some are able to use urea as a nitrogen source. The endosymbiotic Bacteroidota are hyperspecialized to the gut environment, and help their hosts break down nutrients. They may act as opportunistic pathogens, and infect cells of their host that are already weakened. 

The genus Bacteroides is important for humans, especially infants, since they break down otherwise indigestible components of breastmilk. Have you noticed a theme yet? Breaking down complex nutrients is sort of this phylum's thing. And Bacteroidota are our little helpers from the very beginning: during vaginal birth, some Bacteroides are transferred from mother to child. The presence of these Bacteroides in the infant gut is associated with (and may be necessary for) healthy neurodevelopment. That means you have them to thank for your ability to read this post right now!