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Related Concept Videos

Development of Human Microbiota01:30

Development of Human Microbiota

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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...
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Introduction to the Human Microbiota01:22

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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,...
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Microbiota of the Stomach and Small Intestine01:27

Microbiota of the Stomach and Small Intestine

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The human gastrointestinal (GI) tract is characterized by distinct physicochemical conditions that shape its microbial communities. Among these, the stomach presents a particularly challenging environment for microbial colonization due to its highly acidic pH, ranging from 1 to 3. This extreme acidity effectively limits microbial density. However, certain acid-tolerant microorganisms are capable of surviving in this niche. Notably, Helicobacter pylori can colonize the gastric mucosa,...
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Evolutionary Processes in Microbes01:26

Evolutionary Processes in Microbes

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Microbial evolution occurs rapidly due to short generation times and a variety of genetic processes, including horizontal gene transfer, mutation, recombination, and genetic drift. These mechanisms collectively enable microbes to adapt swiftly to changing environments.Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) allows genes to move between different species and occurs through three main mechanisms: conjugation, transformation, and transduction. Conjugation involves direct cell-to-cell contact for DNA...
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Anatomy of the Intestines01:23

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Although digestion of proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids may begin in the stomach, it is completed in the intestine. The absorption of nutrients, water, and electrolytes from food and drink also occurs in the intestine. The intestines can be divided into two structurally distinct organs—the small and large intestines.
Small Intestines
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Evolution of New Traits in Microbes01:24

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Microorganisms evolve rapidly due to their large population sizes and short generation times, often exhibiting measurable changes within days under laboratory conditions. Natural selection acts on standing genetic variation, enabling the retention and amplification of beneficial traits that confer fitness advantages in changing environments.Adaptive Pigment Regulation in RhodobacterIn Rhodobacter, a genus of purple non-sulfur bacteria, light-harvesting pigments such as bacteriochlorophyll and...
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Applying Advanced In Vitro Culturing Technology to Study the Human Gut Microbiota
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Rapid changes in the gut microbiome during human evolution.

Andrew H Moeller1, Yingying Li2, Eitel Mpoudi Ngole3

  • 1Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511; Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712;

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|November 5, 2014
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Human gut microbiomes have lost ancestral microbial diversity since diverging from apes. This depletion accelerated with human evolution, leading to a less diverse microbiome compared to wild apes.

Keywords:
GorillaPancoevolutiongastrointestinal tractmicrobiota

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Microbiome research
  • Primate ecology

Background:

  • The human microbiome, a complex ecosystem of trillions of microbes, has an evolutionary history that is poorly understood.
  • Knowledge of African ape microbiomes is crucial for reconstructing human microbiome evolution.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To reconstruct the evolutionary history of the human microbiome.
  • To understand how human microbiomes have diverged from ancestral ape populations.

Main Methods:

  • Sequencing of gut microbial communities in hundreds of chimpanzees, bonobos, and gorillas.
  • Development of a phylogenetic approach to trace microbiome divergence over evolutionary time.

Main Results:

  • Microbiome compositional change was slow and clock-like during African ape diversification.
  • Human microbiomes have deviated from the ancestral state at an accelerated rate.
  • Human microbiomes exhibit reduced microbial diversity compared to wild apes, correlating with animal-based diets.

Conclusions:

  • Humanity has experienced a significant depletion of gut flora since diverging from ancestral apes (Pan).
  • The human microbiome has lost ancestral microbial diversity and specialized for diet.
  • Wild apes maintain a higher diversity of bacterial taxa compared to humans across various societies.