The Gut Microbiota - 1156 Words

The gut microbiota is extremely diverse – consisting of over 1,000 identified unique species of bacteria. It is indeed difficult to wrap one’s head around it – despite bacteria being microscopically small, and having an undetectable mass, the bacteria of the gut in a human can weigh over 2 pounds! This incredibly diverse mass of bacteria is also mostly unique on an individual basis – over 70% of the bacteria per gut are unique to each person [1]. Thus, the gut microbiota of each individual can effectively function as a unique source of identity. The sheer diversity of the microbiota means that bodily disorders associated with the gut region (encompassing the stomach and intestines) are difficult to diagnose, and even harder to find the source of the disorder. Intestinal Bowel Disease (IBD) is a large category of bodily disorders associated with the gut. IBD most commonly manifests itself in two forms – Crohn’s Disease, and Ulcerative Colitis [1]. Crohn’s disease is arguably a more severe form of the disease, as the diseased tissue tends to go deeper into the intestines. Ulcerative Colitis, while still very detrimental and pain causing, causes inflammation of tissue at more of the surface level. The diseases affects a significant portion of the population, with a high rate of new cases discovered - between 20,000 and 100,000 people are diagnosed with types of IBD annually in North America [1]. The role of the microbiota in inducing intestinal diseases has been suspected.Show MoreRelatedObesity And The Gu t Microbiota1694 Words   |  7 PagesThe gut microbiome supplies the human host with metabolic capabilities beyond those encoded by its own genome (Khan et al., 2014). Because host metabolism is effectively regulated by the amalgamation of host and microbial genes (Khan et al., 2014), we should expect the gut microbiota to play a fundamental role in the health of its host. A compendium of research evidence demonstrates a compelling link between obesity and gut microbial composition. The connection between obesity and the gut microbiotaRead More The Role of Gut Microbiota in the Exaggeration of Kwashiorkor550 Words   |  3 Pagesthe importance that the role of gut microbiota and diet that cause and exaggerate kwashiorkor, a severe form of malnutrition, in both monozygotic and dizygotic twins from Malawi, a country in Africa. The study tested twins, one that was well-nourished and one that was discordant, to evaluate changes in the bacteria of the gut while changing their diet, and the study also investigated the effect of fecal transplants to gnotobiotic mice to see how the gut microbiota along with the Malawian diet contributeRead MoreStudy The Association Between The Gut Microbiota And Brain Function2457 Words   |  10 Pagesobjectives: To study the association between the gut microbiota and brain functions in response to the stress reactivity at different stages of early life. This research will also help to link the brain structures involved in stress reactivity. This research will help to understand, how the diversity and distribution of these prominent phyla contribute to health and disease. Long term objective: We plan to expand this research to a broader aspect to study the gut-brain axis with simultaneous stress exposureRead MoreDiet Mediated Epigenetic Effects On The Microbiota Gut Brain Axis Essay1390 Words   |  6 PagesDiet Mediated Epigenetic Effects on the Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis The Future of Epigenetic Drugs The Oxford English Dictionary defines a drug as, â€Å"a substance which has a physiological effect when ingested or otherwise introduced into the body† (â€Å"Drug,† 2016). Most would consider this definition too broad since simply ingesting food causes physiological changes in the body. However, most do not consider the multifarious ways in which the food that we eat affects our epigenetic gene expression, orRead MoreHow The Human Body Can Be Understood As An Ecologically Diverse Landscape1431 Words   |  6 Pagesneutral species to pathogenic dangers. This diverse spectrum of microorganisms is called the human microbiota, and is composed of around 10-100 trillion commensal microbial cells (1). These may include bacteria, fungi, viruses, most of which may be harmless. Microbiota are dispersed throughout our bodies, though seem to be particularly concentrated within certain bodily â€Å"ecosystems† such as the gut, the vagina, and the mouth. Interestingly, the diversity between these sites is quite great, with researchRead MoreThe Immune System : A Complex Network Of Innate And Innate Immune Systems1254 Words   |  6 Pageshomeostasis in order to ensure that the body is operating under optimal conditions. The composition of microbiota is associated with the adaptive and innate immune systems, which work together in order to maintain a constant relationship between the increasingly different microbiota and pathogens found within our body. Under optimal working conditions, the relationship between the immune system and microbiota is interweaved between the innate and adaptive components of the immune system that cultivatesRead MoreDrinking Diet Soda Is Healthier For You Than Drinking Regular Soda Filled With Sugar849 Words   |  4 Pagesfunction of the gut microbiota† (Weizmann Institute of Science, 2014). The gut microbiota is a large portion of the bacteria in the intestines and it has been shown to have an effect on the body’s inability to process sugar therefore inducing glucose intolerance and metabolic disease (Elinav,2014). Glucose intolerance occurs when the body cannot process large amounts of sugar and it is the beginning steps to developing diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Furthermore, the gut microbiota has been shownRead MoreCauses And Effect Of A Bacterium884 Words   |  4 Pagesmilk promote long-term intestinal homeostasis by regulating the gut microbiota and host gene expression†. This article evaluates the relationship between breast milk and gut microbiota in a suckling mammal. Balance is the key to immune intestinal health, an equilibrium that occurs between the immune system and the gut microbiota. Bifidobacterium longum infantisis is an example of gut microbiota that occurs in large numbers within the gut. Rogier et al. (2014) wanted to evaluate how breast milk affectsRead MoreThe Gastrointestinal Tract, The Immune System And Mental Health1049 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction Nowadays there are a large number of investigations related to the microbiota and health not only of the gastrointestinal tract, the immune system but also the nervous system and mental health. Likewise, changes in the microbiota are implicated in the increasing tendency for a broad range of inflammatory diseases such as allergic disease, inflammatory bowel disease, obesity and the presence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) for instance, cardiovascular diseases (like heart attacksRead MoreA Study Of Dynamic Regulation Of Gene Expression Essay1334 Words   |  6 Pagesprokaryotic cells that make up our microbiota, constitute 90% of the cells in our bodies, and are derived from more than 40,000 bacterial strains (Forsythe Kunze, 2012). Bacterial cells reside in animal hosts as commensals, symbionts, or as pathogenic parasites, forming a veneer over almost all body surfaces (Dave et al., 2012). Increasingly, research is showing the importance of host microbiota composition and the b idirectional signaling pathways between the brain and the gut, some of which are epigenetic