Holobiont Theory

Question 1

Is Dawkins’ idea of the ‘selfish gene’ a bit outdated?

Answer 1

Apparently so - ‘hologenome selection’

Question 2

one might say we are

Answer 2

‘microbial storage machines designed to pass our microbes along to future generations’

Question 3

completed self hypothesis

Answer 3

Dietert - ‘self-incompleteness’ as a birth defect

Question 4

A holobiont

Answer 4

a host organism and associated species that, as a group, serve as a unit of evolution

Question 5

We need to produce antibiotics that can differentiate between self and non-self

Answer 5

so that they don’t disrupt critical windows of immune vulnerability

Question 6

gene swaps and gene switches

Answer 6

???

Question 7

sodium butyrate

Answer 7

one of the small molecular metabolites of gut bacteria; can control the gene switches and affect hemoglobin expression.

Question 8

Dietert argues that…

Answer 8

… the most significant reason for immune-inflicted noncommunicable diseases is the loss of a higher order of self-integrity involving our microbiome.

Question 9

Old Friends hypothesis

Answer 9

…

Question 10

superorganism

Answer 10

synthesize vitamin B12, which is essential to human health

Question 11

microbes found in the mouth

Answer 11

enriched for genes involved in the chemical modification of nitrates in our diets to nitrites - linked to blood pressure regulation and prevention of migraines