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The secret alliance of the microbiome: How do microbiomes affect our health?
All around us, countless microorganisms influence our lives in invisible ways. From our guts to the surface of our skin, the microbiome plays an important role both inside and outside the human body. These microorganisms not only help us digest food, but also participate in normal immune responses and regulate various physiological processes. In this article, we will explore the types of microbial communities and their relationships with the host, and explore how these microorganisms work together to form an important part of health.
Importance of the microbiomeMicrobiota refers to the microorganisms present in all multicellular organisms (including plants), which may be symbiotic, mutualistic or pathogenic. Microorganisms are crucial for host immune, endocrine, and metabolic homeostasis. The microbiome describes not only the microorganisms present in a specific ecological niche, but also their collective genomes. The coordinated evolution of this ecological unit makes it an area worthy of further study.
Relationship between microorganisms and hosts
The relationship between microorganisms and hosts can be divided into three categories: commensalism, mutualism and parasitism. In symbiosis, microorganisms coexist peacefully with their hosts, while in mutualism, microorganisms provide certain benefits to the host. Parasitism occurs when microorganisms cause harm to their hosts. Understanding these different relationships helps us better understand the role that microbes play in protecting the health of their hosts.
There are about 100 trillion microorganisms in the human body. Although the mass of these microorganisms is only 0.2 kilograms, they affect our health and diseases.
Acquisition and changes of microorganisms
Animals acquire their microbiota from their mothers at birth, while plants acquire their microbiota from seeds or roots. The stability of microorganisms is affected by plant species and soil composition. In clinical practice, the method of treating infection through fecal microbiota transplantation is gaining increasing attention.
The human microbiomeThe human microbiome includes bacteria, fungi, archaea, and viruses. Current research has found that there are more microorganisms in the human body than human cells. Traditional estimates have been 10 times, but recent studies suggest that the ratio may be closer to 1:1. Because of the hard work that microbes do in our bodies, they play an irreplaceable role in regulating the immune system and influencing health.
The composition of the microbiome varies in different hosts and environments, which makes their individual study and application extremely complicated.
Co-evolution of microorganisms
Changes in microbial communities and hosts influence each other, and this co-evolutionary relationship is particularly evident in ecosystems. For example, healthy corals and their microbial communities have shown remarkable resilience in adapting to environmental changes, suggesting that the co-evolution of the community can rapidly adjust to defend against disease.
Advances in research methods
With the development of genomics and microbiome, scientists have begun to use various technologies to decode the functions of microorganisms. For example, targeted amplicon sequencing and metagenomic sequencing can help researchers more accurately understand the diversity and functional potential of microorganisms.
Future Directions
Studies have shown that the diversity and quantity of microorganisms may be closely related to the health status of the host, which provides new insights into understanding the development and treatment of diseases. Research teams are working to understand how microbes influence their hosts’ immune responses, metabolic processes, and even mental health.
In an ecosystem that works closely with microbes, how else can we harness these invisible allies to promote human health?
