microbiomes

Noun

microbiome (plural microbiomes)

1. The genetic information (genomes) of a microbiota.
   • The human microbiota consists of the 10-100 trillion symbiotic microbial cells harbored by each person, primarily bacteria in the gut; the human microbiome consists of the genes these cells harbor.2012 August, “Defining the Human Microbiome”, in Nutrition Reviews, volume 70, number Suppl. 1, pages S38–S44
2. A microbial biome, such as the community of microbes within the human gut.
   • Mostly, the microbiome is beneficial. It helps with digestion and enables people to extract a lot more calories from their food than would otherwise be possible. Research over the past few years, however, has implicated it in diseases from atherosclerosis to asthma to autism.2013 June 29, “A punch in the gut”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8842, pages 72–3