microbial communities Flashcards
how many microbial cells on earth
5 * 10^30
4 reasons for studying microbial communities
global biogeochemical cycles
ecological function and resistance
biotechnology and agriculture
heath and disease
define biome
the combined abiotic and biotic factors of a given environment
define microbiome
the collection of microorganisms, their genetic material and surrounding environmental conditions
define microbiota
the assemblage of microorganisms present in a defined environment
define metagenome
the collection of genomes and genes from the members of a microbiota
how were early community studies performed
culture-based methods
what is the main issue with culture-based methods
majority of microorganisms are not culturable
biased representation of community composition
what is the name given to a microorganism that cannot be cultured
VBNC
viable but nonculturable species
what interactions are occuring in a microbiome
within and between species
with surrounding environment / host
give some examples of things that can affect the microbiome
antibiotics,
alcohol,
smoking,
travel,
diet,
occupation,
stress
what microbiome is most affected by diet
gut microbiome
give an example of diet affecting the gut microbiome
travellers diarrhoea
what effects do microbial metabolites have on host health
both positive and negative
what happens to your microbiome at birth and how is it affected
influx of microbes at birth
community dependent on whether you were pre-term and delivery method (natural vs c-section)
what are Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus associated with
good gut health
what nerve is responsible for the effect of stress on the microbiome
vagus nerve which connects brain to gut
what responses can occur as a result of stress
increased mucous secretion,
fight or flight (cortisol),
immune signalling,
vagus nerve action,
neurotransmitters,
neuromuscular control of peristasis
well known symptom of vagus nerve activation
stomach cramps when stressed
what can be the risks of a unhealthy gut microbiome
heart attack, stroke and other health complications
give some examples of how microbiomes can be used to benefit agriculture
improve food security,
improve health and disease resistance,
improve feed efficiency,
better quality and more nutritious meat / milk,
reduce methane production in cows,
exploit novel (more susutainable) food sources
