| Basic Characteristics | Properties (Bacteroides fragilis) |
| Capsule | Positive (+ve) |
| Catalase | Positive (+ve) |
| Flagella | Negative (-ve) |
| Gelatin Hydrolysis | Weakly Positive (+ve) |
| Gram Staining | Gram-negative (-ve) |
| Growth in Bile (20%) | Positive (+ve) |
| Hemolysis | Negative (-ve) |
| Indole | Variable |
| Motility | Negative (-ve) |
| Nitrate Reduction | Negative (-ve) |
| Oxidase | Variable |
| Pigment | Negative (-ve) |
| Shape | Rod-shaped cells with rounded ends. |
| Spore | Negative (-ve) |
| Thioglycolate with bile | Positive (+ve) |
| Urease | Negative (-ve) |
| Arabinose | Negative (-ve) |
| Cellobiose | Variable |
| Glucose | Positive(+ve) |
| Glycogen | Positive(+ve) |
| Inositol | Negative (-ve) |
| Lactose | Positive(+ve) |
| Maltose | Positive(+ve) |
| Mannitol | Negative (-ve) |
| Mannose | Positive(+ve) |
| Melibiose | Weakly Positive (+ve) |
| Raffinose | Positive(+ve) |
| Rhamnose | Negative (-ve) |
| Ribose | Negative (-ve) |
| Salicin | Negative (-ve) |
| Starch | Positive (+ve) |
| Sucrose | Positive (+ve) |
| Trehalose | Negative (-ve) |
| Xylan | Negative (-ve) |
| Xylose | Positive (+ve) |
| Alanine arylamidase | Positive (+ve) |
| Esculin Hydrolysis | Positive (+ve) |
| Glutamic acid decarboxylase | Positive (+ve) |
| Glycine arylamidase | Negative (-ve) |
| Leucine arylamidase | Positive (+ve) |
| Leucyl glycine arylamidase | Positive (+ve) |
| N-Acety1- b-glucosaminidase | Positive (+ve) |
| ONPG (β-galactosidase) | Positive (+ve) |