Studying the human body from a microbiological perspective reveals to one that the organism is a much more structurally complex set of systems than most cutting-edge technologies. The microbiome is one of the most unusual and intriguing parts of the body due to its partial bio-autonomy in terms of existence and functioning. According to scientists, the microbiome represents a body of “trillions of microorganisms (also called microbiota or microbes) of thousands of different species” (The microbiome, n.d., para. 1). Those human bodies consist mainly of such microbiota as “Prevotella, Ruminococcus, Bacteroides, and Firmicutes” (The microbiome, n.d., para. 7). It is also noteworthy of such anaerobic ones as “Peptostreptococcus, Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and Clostridium” (The microbiome, n.d., para. 7). Like any other groups of microorganisms, some microbiota performs a supporting function in humans, while others cause damage to their physiological well-being (The microbiome, n.d., para. 1). Moreover, these are highly dynamic collections of living beings; their efficiency, composition, and functionality change dramatically under biological and ecological drivers such as disease, diet, climate, and air pollution.
For the discipline of microbiology, the microbiome is a good topic from the viewpoint of both theoretical and practical science because it is directly related to pharmacology and food production, one of the largest world industries. New drugs and food additives utilizing human microbiomes as well as food products stimulating and healing them are designed and developed annually, if not monthly. Recently, microbiologists have revealed that just under 100 percent of the composition and traits, including genetic ones, of the gut microbiome are heritable (University of Notre Dame, 2021). This novel discovery of a more significant influence of the genetic factor in the microbiome may open up new treatments in gastroenterology.
Reference List
The microbiome (no date) Web.
University of Notre Dame (2021) Our genes shape our gut bacteria, new research shows. Web.