Mikrobióta

Mikrobióta (microbiota) is the community of microorganisms that inhabit a specific environment, most notably the human body. In humans, major habitats include the gut, skin, mouth, and vagina. The term microbiome is often used to refer to the collective genomes of these organisms, though some use microbiome to denote the microbial community along with its genes.

Within the gut, bacteria predominate, with major groups such as Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes, along with archaea, viruses, fungi, and protozoa. Composition varies by age, diet, geography, medications, and health status.

Development and dynamics: Colonization begins at birth and develops with feeding and environment. Early life exposures shape long-term composition; in adulthood the microbiota stabilizes but can shift with antibiotics, illness, or major dietary changes.

Functions: The microbiota helps break down dietary fibers, produces short-chain fatty acids (butyrate, propionate, acetate), synthesizes certain vitamins, supports immune system maturation, maintains gut barrier function, and prevents pathogen invasion. It can influence metabolism and the gut–brain axis.

Dysbiosis and health: An imbalance in microbial communities, or dysbiosis, has been linked to obesity, inflammatory diseases, allergies, infections, and metabolic disorders. Factors include antibiotics, diet, stress, and infections.

Research and applications: Scientists use sequencing and other omics to study microbiota. Interventions include diet modification, probiotics and prebiotics, and, in specific cases, fecal microbiota transplantation.