Trust Your Gut: The Human Gut Microbiome in Health and Disease

Abstract

Since Joshua Lederberg defined the gut microbiome and its collective genetic material present in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), the gut microbiome attracted the attention of researchers worldwide. The human gut microbiota is divided into many phyla in which the gut microbiota is comprised primarily of four main phyla that include Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, and Proteobacteria. Recent studies focused on the microbe-host interactions which included their effects on the metabolism and immunity. In addition, the gut microbiome plays an important role in the absorption of nutrients and minerals; the biosynthesis of enzymes, vitamins, and amino acids; and the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). In this chapter, we shed the light on different groups of gut microbiomes and their effects on human health and diseases.KeywordsGut microbiomeMicrobiota developmentMicrobiota immunosenescenceHuman healthImmunityObesity