Week 7 - Gut Microbiome

Question 1

What are microbes?

Answer 1

Bacteria
Archaea
Fungi
Protists
Viruses
Phages
Microscopic animals

Question 2

Alpha vs beta diversity

Answer 2

Alpha = how many species are present in a single individual (and how evenly they are represented)

Beta = difference in diversity BETWEEN two samples

Question 3

Urban vs rural microbiome diversity

Answer 3

Urban living leads to less microbes/microbiome diversity –> bad, you need diversity

Rural vs rural have unique microbiomes

Question 4

What is the “old friends” hypothesis

Answer 4

increase in chronic inflammatory disorders in high income countries

d/t failing immunoregulation from reduced exposure to the microbial environment within which the mammalian immune system co-evolved.

AKA not gettign exposed to what we need to be exposed to

INFLAMATION is related to many psychaitric disorders (why when sick feel depressed)

Question 5

Are people more similar or different

Answer 5

Most genes are the same
in all people, but a small number of genes (less than 1 percent of the total) are slightly different between people.

Question 6

What is the nerve responsible for gut/brain direct line of communication?

Answer 6

Vagus nerve

Question 7

PTSD and Inflammation

Answer 7

people who are more inflammed (higher plasma CRP concentration) have higher risk of developing PTSD

CRP: Measure of inflammation in the blood

CRP: measure of inflammation in blood

Question 8

What are some impact that microbiota have in our body?

Answer 8

A
impact gut-brain access
organ development
endocrine regulation
immunoregulation
metabolism

Question 9

What are some immunoregulatory disorders that can result from decreased biodiversity?

Answer 9

Asthma
Crohn’s
MS
type 1 diabetes

Question 10

Childhood trauma and microbiome

Answer 10

higher childhood trauma is correlated to lower microbiome abundance

Question 11

TBI and microbiome

Answer 11

gut microbiome after TBI changes rapidly within 72 hours-7days, but it comes back

Question 12

What’s the difference between prebiotics and probiotics?

Answer 12

Prebiotics: food for bacteria to grow (ex. fiber)

Probiotics: something that affects/adds to the microbiome

Question 13

Study on impact of probiotic

Answer 13

gave probiotic to people with PTSD and TBI, see decrease in inflammation

see less reactive to stress