Gut Microbial Community

The gut microbial community, also known as the gut microbiota or gut microbiome, refers to the diverse collection of microorganisms—including bacteria, archaea, fungi, and viruses—that inhabit the digestive tracts of animals, particularly humans. This community is a complex ecosystem that interacts closely with its host and plays essential roles in health and disease. It performs critical functions such as fermentation of indigestible fibers, vitamin synthesis, bile acid metabolism, immune system modulation, and barrier maintenance. Imbalances in the gut microbial community (dysbiosis) have been linked with various diseases.

Other names

Gut microbiotaGut microbiome