Microbiota: Functions, Advantages, Factors & Improvement Techniques

Table of Contents

What is Microbiota?

Microbiota are the large number of microorganisms including a large number of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa, that are present in our body.
Microbiota, is an assemble of commensal, symbiotic and pathogenic micro-organisms that resides in a particular habitat or environment.
Human body consists of trillions of microbes, or bacteria which are useful as well as harmful.
Every human being consist anywhere between 10 trillion and 100 trillion microbial cells in symbiotic relationship and has co-evolved with host over thousands of years to form an intricate and mutually beneficial relationship

Human body consists of complex and dynamic groups of bacteria, viruses, fungi and other single celled animals that live in the body especially in gastro-intestinal tract
The collection of these bacteria, viruses and fungi colonizing the GI tract is termed as gut microbiota.
It exists symbiotically within the human digestive system and helps support energy harvesting, digestion, and immune defense.

Microbiota is made up of trillions of cells, including bacteria, fungi and viruses
The biggest population of microbiota resides in the gut. Other popular habitat include the skin, throat, mouth and genitals
The microbial cells and their genetic materials, the microbiome, live with humans from births which relationship is vital to normal health
The microorganisms living inside the gastrointestinal tract amount to around 4 pounds of biomass where every individual has a unique mix of species
Microbiota is important for nutrition, immunity and effects on the brain and behavior. It is implicated in a number of diseases that cause a disturbance in the normal balance of microbes

Microbiota interplay serving to play many and major functions in our body. These include:

Human micro-biota is not a stable organ which is affected by lot of factors
Aging also shows a significant change in the composition of the micro-biota
In addition to age, diet and lifestyle, host genetics, environmental contact, infection, pharmaceuticals, hygiene conditions, relationship between microbiota and immune system, even geography cause variation
Pregnancy
Psychological stress/anxiety
Tobacco use
Alcohol consumption also affects the micro-biota composition
Mode of delivery (Normal or caesarean)
Diet during infancy (breast milk or formula feeds) and adulthood (vegan based or meat based)
Healthy foods (contributes to healthy microbiota)
Use of antibiotics or antibiotic like molecules that are derived from the environment or the gut commensal community

Micro-biota affects the body from birth and throughout life by controlling the digestion of food, immune system, central nervous system and other bodily processes
Some microbiota begins to grow in intestines of babies helping to digest breast milk
It is essential for the development of the intestinal mucosa and immune system of the host
It also controls the immune system by communicating with the immune cells and control how the body response to infection
It has potential to extract increased energy from food and increase nutrient harvest
It provides humans with unique and specific enzymes and biochemical pathways
It provides a physical barrier, protecting its host against foreign pathogens through competitive exclusion and the production of antimicrobial substances

Dysbiosis/Imbalance of microbiota causes the infection
Disturbance of the microbiota is also associated with the progression of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and other diseases
Disturbance in the microbiota can contribute to chronic kidney disease
It can also affect negatively by increasing the weights when there is imbalance among the micro-biota
Metabolic syndromes like diabetes and obesity occurs when there is imbalance in the micro-biota
Gastro intestinal disorders are must to occur if any changes happens in the gut micro-biota
Chances of colon cancer development is also increased due to negative microbiota

Lack of diversity leads to many diseases. Some of the common diseases are:

Autoimmune diseases such as diabetes type I
Rheumatism
Muscular dystrophy
Problems in blood coagulation due to lack of vitamin K,
and disturbances in the transfer of nerve cells due to lack of vitamin B12,
Additionally, it is also involved in a number of conditions such as cancer, memory disorders, depression, stress, autism, and Alzheimer’s disease.
Poor microbiota diversity also have negative effects on nutrition status of a child which ultimately leads undernutrition among children.