Final answer:
B. mycoides is not considered pathogenic to humans as it lacks virulence factors found in related species such as B. anthracis and B. cereus. It is non-pathogenic because it does not adapt well to the human body and does not possess mechanisms to invade human tissues or evade the immune system.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Bacillus mycoides bacterium is not pathogenic to humans because it does not possess the necessary virulence factors or capacity to overcome human immune defenses, unlike its relatives B. anthracis and B. cereus that can cause anthrax and food poisoning respectively. B. mycoides is a member of the Bacillus genus, which includes both non-pathogenic and pathogenic species. The pathogenic species are well-studied due to their medical relevance, while non-pathogenic species contribute to environmental and industrial processes.
Generally, non-pathogenic bacteria like B. mycoides are not well adapted to the human body as a habitat. They lack the traits that enable them to attach to human cells, resist the immune system, or produce the toxins that are characteristic of pathogenic bacteria. Moreover, certain bacteria form symbiotic relationships with humans, such as Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron in the gut, benefiting human metabolism without causing disease.