ABSTRACT
The genus Bacteroides belongs taxonomically to the family Bacteroidaceae, order Bacteroidales, class Bacteroidia, phylum Bacteroidetes. Of the six genera (i.e., Acetoƒlamentum, Acetomicrobium, Acetothermus, Anaerorhabdus, Bacteroides, and Capsularis) within the family Bacteroidaceae, the genus Bacteroides (bacter, rod; -oides, from eidos, shape or Šgure; Bacteroides, rodlike) is not only very complex (with a large number of individual species) but also includes several important pathogens of humans and animals.
