I Contain Multitudes: Chp. 6

Sodalis

A bacterium normally associated with insects that was discovered in a human wound, illustrating a new relationship between a microbe and a host.

Beewolves and Streptomyces

Mother beewolves pass protective bacteria to their offspring, which produce antimicrobial compounds to protect the young from fungal infections.

Vertical transmission

The process by which microbes pass from parent to offspring.

Horizontal transmission

The process by which microbes pass between unrelated individuals or through the environment.

Host selection

The concept that animals do not keep every microbe they encounter; their bodies and environments determine which microbes establish themselves.

Extended phenotype

The idea that an organism's genes can influence its environment, such as a beaver's genes enabling it to build a dam.

Hologenome

The concept of considering a host's genes and its associated microbes' genes together in the context of evolution.

Holobionts

a host organism together with the community of microorganisms living in and on it