Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 21, 2026
07:00
Microbiota of Attine Ants' Gardens: Visualizing a Microbial Landscape by Scanning Electron Microscopy
Published on: October 4, 2024
Spatial and temporal variability of the human microbiota
1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA.
Summary
Our bodies host trillions of microbes, collectively known as the microbiota. Understanding this microbiome is key to human health and disease susceptibility.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Human Health
- Genomics
Background:
- Human-associated microbes (microbiota) have been known for centuries.
- Next-generation sequencing enables large-scale characterization of microbial communities.
- The human microbiome exhibits significant inter-individual variability, unlike the human genome.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the variability and health contributions of the human microbiota.
- To investigate the role of the microbiome in human physiological responses and disease.
- To identify factors influencing microbiome dynamics for potential health interventions.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing next-generation sequencing technologies.
- Analyzing microbial consortia and their genetic content (microbiome).
- Investigating spatial and temporal variations within the microbiota.
Main Results:
- Microbial cells and genes vastly outnumber human counterparts.
- Significant differences exist in individual microbiomes, contrasting with high human genome similarity.
- The microbiome's influence on human health and disease is a critical area of inquiry.
Conclusions:
- Understanding microbiome variability is crucial for deciphering its impact on human health.
- Further research is needed to understand factors affecting microbiome stability and community changes.
- Manipulating the microbiome holds potential for improving human health outcomes.
Related Concept Videos
01:22Introduction to the Human Microbiota
Microorganisms colonize various regions of the human body, including the mouth, nasal passages, throat, stomach, intestines, urogenital tract, and skin. The total number of microbial cells is estimated to range from 10¹³ to 10¹⁴—comparable to, or exceeding, the number of human somatic cells. This host–microbiome relationship has led to the conceptualization of humans as supraorganisms, wherein microbial communities perform vital roles in development, immunity, and disease...
01:30Development of Human Microbiota
The human microbiota begins developing at birth and undergoes continual change as we age. Infancy marks a critical period of microbial sensitivity, offering a “window of opportunity” during which beneficial microbes help mature the immune system. By age three, children typically develop a more stable and diverse microbial community. Newborns acquire microbes from their immediate environment; vaginal delivery favors maternal vaginal microbes, while cesarean births favor microbes from the skin...
01:22Microenvironments
Microorganisms inhabit highly localized spaces known as microenvironments, which are defined by distinct physical and chemical characteristics. These include oxygen concentration, pH, temperature, light availability, and nutrient levels. The conditions within a microenvironment can differ markedly from those in the surrounding area and significantly influence microbial growth, metabolism, and community structure.Microenvironments often display sharp physicochemical gradients over small spatial...
01:28Microbiota of the Urogenital Tract
The human urogenital system, once thought to be sterile in healthy individuals, is now recognized as a complex microbial habitat. Advancements in molecular sequencing techniques have revealed that even in healthy adults, the kidneys and bladder harbor microbial populations similar to those found in the distal urethra, albeit in much lower abundance. These resident microorganisms, while generally innocuous, can become opportunistic pathogens under conditions that alter the urogenital...
01:27Microbiota of the Large Intestine
The large intestine hosts the most densely populated microbial ecosystem in the human body. This complex community primarily consists of anaerobic bacteria, with Bacillota (formerly Firmicutes) and Bacteroidota (formerly Bacteroidetes) as the predominant groups. The distribution of these microbes varies along different sections of the large intestine, influenced by local environmental factors such as oxygen availability and nutrient composition.The cecum, located at the beginning of the large...
01:27The Skin Microbiota
The human skin serves as a complex ecosystem inhabited by a diverse community of microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, and viruses. This microbiome plays a critical role in maintaining skin health and defending against pathogenic invaders. The composition of microbial communities varies significantly across different regions of the body, influenced primarily by the local levels of moisture and sebum.Regional Variation in Skin MicrobiotaCutibacterium acnes predominantly colonizes sebaceous...