What prevents the immune system from attacking the microbiome?
Lymphocytes are white blood cells trained to recognize and destroy harmful microorganisms, including bacteria. So, how does the immune system know which bacteria in the gut are friendly and which aren’t? It turns out that lymphocytes go through a “training program” in the gut. The process is complicated, but simply put, the bacteria associated with inflammation and cell damage are flagged as harmful. Those that do not damage other cells and cause inflammation are marked by the lymphocytes as benign.
Does sleep deprivation affect a person's gut microbiome?
Preliminary research suggests that sleep deprivation can alter the balance of existing groups of bacteria in the gut. Similarly, microbiome composition can influence sleep patterns. This indicates that the influence between sleep deprivation and microbiome is a two-way street, with each having the ability to influence the other.
Why are microbiota termed gut flora and not gut fauna?
The term fauna refers to all animal life in a defined region. The term flora can be used to refer to all plant life in a defined region or, when applied to microbiology, to the community of microorganisms living on or in a host organism. This microorganism community can include bacteria, viruses, fungi and other organisms and are collectively known as the flora of that organism. In the gut, this is referred to as gut flora.
