Microbiomes and Symbiosis Notes
Population
- A population is defined as a number of organisms of the same species living in the same area.
- Example: A population of Zebras in Botswana.
- A community is defined as a number of interacting organisms of different species living in the same area.
- Example: A community of zebras, impalas, trees, and grasses.
Ecosystems
- An ecosystem is a network of populations, all interacting with each other and all interacting with their non-living environment.
- Example: A desert ecosystem could have populations of cacti, snakes, spiders, and insects, interacting with sand, sunshine, and very little water.
- Microbes are microscopic organisms, including archaea and bacteria.
- Microbes can also form ecosystems.
Microbial Ecosystems
- A microbial ecosystem might have hundreds of different kinds of bacteria and archaea, interacting with each other and the surface environment where they live.
Our Microbiome
- We have bacteria and archaea living on all the surfaces of our bodies.
- Each individual has a unique microbiome.
- No two people, even identical twins, share the exact same environmental experience; therefore, no two people are colonized by the same assemblage of microbial life.
- Microbiomes are the ecosystems of microscopic organisms that live in close relationships with one another and their host body.
Human Microbiome
- The human microbiome includes archaea, bacteria, and other types of microscopic organisms, including fungi and microscopic animals.