The Bacteroides group, which excels at eating these glycans, soon become the most common microbes in the gut. But crucially, glycans are so diverse that no single species of bacterium has the right tools for eating all of them. This means that by swallowing or making a wide range of glycans we can support an abundance of different bacteria. Some are unfussy generalists like pigeons or raccoons; others are choosy specialists like pandas or anteaters. They form food webs where some microbes break down the biggest and hardiest molecules and release smaller fragments that others mop up. They make
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