Hostmicrobial
Hostmicrobial refers to the set of interactions between a host organism and its resident microbial communities, including bacteria, archaea, fungi, and viruses. These microbes inhabit various sites such as the gastrointestinal tract, skin, oral cavity, respiratory and urogenital tracts, and other tissues. The relationships range from mutualistic, where both host and microbe benefit, to commensal, where microbes benefit without harming the host, to parasitic or pathogenic, where microbes can cause disease.
The functions of hostmicrobial communities are diverse. They assist in digestion and metabolism of complex substrates,
Composition and activity of hostmicrobial communities are dynamic and influenced by factors such as genetics, age,
Applications and implications of hostmicrobial research include the development of probiotics and prebiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation,