Microbiota of the gastrointestinal tract (gut microbiota)

The microbiota of the gastrointestinal tract is an ecosystem comprising trillions of microbes—primarily bacteria (such as Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, and Proteobacteria) as well as archaea, fungi, protists, and viruses—living throughout the digestive system, with the highest density in the colon. It plays a fundamental role in host metabolism, immune function, protection against pathogens, and even influences neurological processes via the microbiota–gut–brain axis. Dysbiosis, or imbalance in this community, is linked to multiple diseases, making manipulation of the gut microbiota a major focus of emerging therapeutic strategies. However, it is not an individual molecular target, but a descriptor for a complex, interacting microbial consortium.

Other names

gut microbiotaintestinal microbiotagut floragastrointestinal microfloraintestinal flora

Competitive inhibition of pathogens; Production of bioactive metabolites (e.g., short-chain fatty acids, neurotransmitters); Enhanced mucosal immune tolerance; Modulation of local and systemic inflammation; Restoration of functional microbial communities (e.g., after dysbiosis)