Primate Omnivore: The Evolution Of The Human Microbiome

In the article, "The Ultimate Social Network," Jennifer Ackerman presented data to challenge the first thoughts that people are independent, depending just on the human body to control interior capacities. She stated that the adjustments in the human microbiome are contributing to higher rates of obesity and autoimmune system disorders, prompting it to address regardless of whether we are in charge of our own body.

Gut microbiota is a complex community of micro-organism species that live within the digestive tract. It is the largest reservoir of micro-organisms mutual to both humans and animals. The Gut microbiome consist of as many as 1,000 types of bacteria. The microbiome also consists of as many as 10 times the amount of cells and roughly as many as 150 times as many genes as the human genome contains. The microbiome has a symbiotic relationship with its human host and it co-evolves. The gut microbiome is a finely tuned eco-system, but its development depends on a number of factors, such as:

The article “Some of My Best Friends are Germs,” by Michael Pollen was a very interesting and informative read. Pollen explains that our bodies house 100s of trillions of microbes. More than 99 percent of our genetic information is microbial. The large number of bacteria that inhabits us weighs many pounds, forming a massive, unexplored world that scientists are just starting to document. These bacteria affect our health as much as if not more than the genes we receive from our parents.

Zimmer ends the article by explaining that having a more diverse set of microbes in your gut can actually help you in the long run. Western cultures have microbes that produce carbohydrates that feed on the body if not given enough fiber. However, the people living with more diverse microbes in the gut are developing microbiomes that are rarely seen in industrialized cultures (Zimmer). The article ends with a statement regarding the idea that seasonal microbes give scientists a new outlook as to how humans lived and thrived in a world long before there were industrialized societies.

An offspring’s microbial composition is initially determined through maternal transmission in utero and during birth, however, after delivery, the microbiota is not fixed and may be changed by a multitude of environmental factors. The mode of delivery (vaginal or caesarean section), diet, and many other factors continue to play dynamic roles throughout an individual’s lifetime (Marques et al., 2010). Recent studies have indicated that maternal and neonatal nutrition significantly alter the epigenome of offspring, with the food consumed during pregnancy modulating the gut microbiota as well as the metabolites produced (Turnbaugh et al., 2009). Dietary intervention studies indicate that the diet sensitive nature of the gut persists throughout life, and that the gut microbiota often responds rapidly to changes in diet (Hullar & Fu, 2014). More specifically, dietary alterations modulate the exposure of the host to microbial metabolites (such as butyrate) which could have a multiplicity of epigenetic effects in the offspring (Duncan et al., 2007).

Physiological books—specifically those about the gut microbiota and the importance of the digestive system—took up the most rows in my mental library due to the fact that I can use their knowledge to positively impact countless lives, starting with the ones closest to home. I grew up allergic to pollen, dust, peanuts, oatmeal, and even penicillin. My mother has an issue with Helicobacter pylori in her stomach and cholesterol levels. My father is genetically predisposed towards high blood pressure. Through these books, I gained a better understanding of the biological human; specifically, I learned about how central the digestive system is to the body, not only by providing nutrients but also, through its resident bacteria, by regulating immune function. Through learning more about this expansive mass, I can help my loved ones change their lifestyle and dietary habits to improve their

Mullin in this article discussed correlation of diet, gut flora, and weight. Standard American diet (SAD) that is a high fat and carbohydrates, and low fiber diet negatively affects gut microbiota. Avoiding inflammatory fat and decreasing sugar intake helps to good bacteria to grow more in the intestine. According to Mullin, when a person cut back the SAD gut start to fertilize more normal flora that will help in losing weight (p. 161). The overgrown bad gut microbitas produce more harmful byproducts that can increase intestine inflammation, promote fat accumulation in the stomach area, and increase insulin resistance (p.

These complex communities play an important role in health and have been implicated in the pathogenesis of diseases including diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity. The microbiota living symbiotically with their host are generally non-pathogenic and have evolved with humans in order to combat colonization by harmful bacteria while extracting energy from non-digestible polysaccharides. There are many factors that contribute to the stability of the gut microbiome. Typically, the gut microbiome is established at birth and differs with mode of delivery (vaginally vs. cesarean) [7,9]. Therefore, the manner in which a child is born influences the composition of bacteria. Other factors include host environment, genetics and lifestyle, the latter of which is the focus of this proposal [8,16]. The gut flora are beneficial to humans as they provide essential nutrients while also acting as an adaptive immune system [7, 23]. Research has suggested that antigens released from gut microbiota can be absorbed and infiltrate adipose tissue, thereby worsening chronic inflammation and oxidative stress associated with obesity [23]. Therefore, identifying the specific microbiome of an individual can be diagnostic of metabolic disorders [8] and may contribute to impaired endothelium-mediated

The article’s main focus was on the gut microbiome, whilst incorporating its relevance to precision medicine. By analyzing the microbiomes composition and function, the near future could include personalized patient-specific diagnostics and therapeutics. Microbiome research entails the complex ecosystem of microorganisms who reside on or within the human body whose genome outnumbers that of the host and effects physiological functions. Though this research marks progression, there are limitations and challenges presented by the fact that there is variability among individuals. Overall, the research concerning the second genome, or gut microbiome, is altering medicine for the better.

The gut microbiota consists of bacteria, fungi, viruses and protozoans, often belonging to the phyla of Frimicutes, Bacteroides, Actinobacteria, and Protebacteria (3). Although, more than a thousand different bacteria are found in the human intestine, only 150 to 170 species are common between different individuals, so microbiotas are specific for each individual (4). Imbalance in the symbiosis of digestive tract microbiotas (dysbiosis) can occur in a variety of ways, including dietary

The human microbiome consists of the genes within the multitude of microbial cells indigenous to each person. The cells are collectively called the human microbiota, and consist mostly of bacteria in the gut. The colonization of the human microbiome is acquired at infancy and is constantly altered throughout the lifespan of any person based on culture, environment, and most influentially, diet. As the gut (and consequently, the bacteria in the gut/microbiome) plays an important role in digestion and nutrition, it is no surprise that there have been many studies, investigating the diversity of these organisms at different body sites on the same person as well as between individuals. Studies focusing on the effect of diet on the human microbiome

In the abstract, The microbiome: stress, health and disease, it says that bacterial colonisation has a great roles in the gut, the role is the development and maturation of the key systems that influence the CNS programming and signaling, this also consists of the immune and endocrine systems. Alone, they have involved neuropathology of several CNS disorders and form an important communication between the microbiota and the brain in health and disease. Moloney, R.D. et al.’s (2014) write that “research has focused on how the microbiota communicates with the CNS and thereby influence brain function” (Moloney, 2014). These communications are not yet explicated but have neural, humoral, immune and metabolic pathways. The studies on germ-free animals

human cells, most of our body is inhabited by other organisms that range from neutral 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 “ecosystems” such as the gut, the vagina, and the mouth. Interestingly, the diversity between these sites is quite great, with research showing that the microbiome of the hand could be around 80-90% different from that of the gut (1). These separate microbial sites within the body dictate how certain pathogens will be killed off, and how the balance of the site will be maintained. As a site most densely populated with microbiota, the gut is responsible for making sure that the vitamins and minerals within foods were sufficiently absorbed and digested; a feat only possible due to the magnitude of microbial organisms within the site (2). In this sense, each site is extremely important to the overall harmony of the human body. Techniques to identify certain microbial taxa, as well as their genomic patterns range from studies of cultured isolates, which are used to link bacteria to certain phenotypes, to taxonomic profiling, a

I would be very pleased to contribute to research within the intended Junior Research Group on Nutrition and Microbiota. Ever since my completion of my bachelors in veterinary medicine and work as a pathobiologist, I have had a growing interest in studying how the microbiota contributes to chronic diseases. Lifestyle factors, including diet play an extremely important role in the development of these diseases.

The establishment of the human microbiota and the microbiome begins immediately at birth. A fetus is considered to be sterile until the amniotic sac ruptures. After passage through the birth canal, it gathers microbial populations that closely resemble that of the mother’s vagina; this continues as the child receives its mother’s breast milk. Within the first year, the infant begins to have repeated exposures to various environmental factors (family size, diet, living arrangements, geographic