AN ILLUSTRATIVE VIEW OF THE GUT MICROBIOME

The gut microbiome is composed of a variety of microorganisms including bacteria, viruses, and fungi.

With bacteria being the most abundant component, it is the subject of many studies.

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There are more than 10x the number of bacteria cells in the human body than human cells. With each bacterial species containing its own unique DNA genome (the microbiome), the total number of genes from bacteria is 100x more than our own genes.

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The bacteria in our gut can influence our immune system and studies have demonstrated a link between the composition of bacteria and diseases.

 

For this reason, the gut microbiome is sometimes referred to as our

'forgotten organ'.