Human Gut Microbiota

The human gastrointestinal tract GIT harbours a complex and 

Dynamic population of microorganisms ,

the gut microbiota .

Which exert a marked influence on the host during homeostasis

and disease.

       Diet is considered as one of the main drivers in shaping the gut 

microbiota across the life time .

Intestinal bacteria play a crucial role in maintaining immune and 

Metabolic homeostasis  and protecting against pathogenes.

     Altered gut bacteria composition (dysbiosis)has been associated 

with the pathogenesis of many inflammatory diseases and infections.

      In an average life time around 60 tonnes of food 

Pass through the human GI tract ,along with an 

abundance of microorganisms from environment

Which impose a huge threat on gut integrity.

      The collection of  bacteria archaea and eukarya  colonising

The GI tract is term Gut microbiota and has co-evolved with

the host over thousands of years to form an intricate and mutually 

Beneficial relationship .

         The number microorganisms inhibiting the GI tract has been estimated

To exceed 10¹⁴ encompasses approximately 10times more 

Bacterial cells and over 100 times  the amount of genomic content (microbiome)

as the human genome.

Microbiota benefits :

Strengthening gut integrity or shaping the intestinal epithelium harvesting energy

Protecting against pathogens and regulating host immunity.

However there is potential for these mechanisms to be disrupted

as a result of an altered microbial omposition ,known as dysbiosis

With increasingly sophisticated methods to profile and characterise

Complex ecosystem being developed a role for microbiota in a

Large number of intestinal and extra intestinal diseases

Has become steadily apparent.

Ref  Biochemical Jou 2017 Jun 1:474(11):1823-1836

         Elizabeth Thursby and

         Nathalia Juge