Microbiome and Microbiota: Human Microbial Relationships and Health

What is a microbiome?

A collection of different microbes in a particular environmental system.

What does microbiota refer to?

All the microbes living in a specific environment.

When does normal microbiota begin to be acquired?

Before birth.

What are the future benefits of knowing the human microbiome?

Development of biomarkers for disease predisposition, targeted therapies, and personalized drug therapies.

What is transient microbiota?

Microbiota that may colonize the body fleetingly and does not cause disease.

Give an example of a bacterium that can be pathogenic when it moves from its normal habitat.

Escherichia coli can cause problems if it enters the urinary tract.

What is symbiosis?

A relationship between organisms that live closely together, which can be helpful, harmful, or neutral.

What is commensalism?

A type of symbiosis where one organism benefits and the other is unaffected.

What is mutualism?

A type of symbiosis where both organisms benefit.

What is parasitism?

A type of symbiosis where one organism benefits at the expense of the other.

What role do microbes in the gut play?

They affect early development, health, and predisposition to disease.

How does stomach acidity affect microorganisms?

The acidity (pH 2-3) kills most microorganisms.

What happens to gastric microbiota during intestinal obstruction?

An increase in gastric pH can lead to changes in gastric microbiota.

What is the largest microbial population in the body found?

In the colon.

What percentage of bacteria in the colon are anaerobic?

96-99%.

What is the role of saliva in the oral cavity?

Saliva contains antimicrobial enzymes.

What is dental plaque?

A biofilm formed by microbial assembly on teeth.

What can alter pH conditions in the urethra?

Conditions that allow potential pathogens like E. coli to multiply.

What is the effect of oral antibiotics on gut microbiota?

They decrease all microbes in the human gut, including both target and non-target species.

What is Clostridium difficile associated with?

Antibiotic use, as it is a spore-former and generally antibiotic resistant.

What are probiotics?

Live organisms that confer a health benefit to the host.

What are prebiotics?

Typically indigestible carbohydrates that provide nutrition for fermentative gut bacteria.

What are synbiotics?

Combined formulations of probiotics and prebiotics to promote growth and provide health benefits.