microbiome
noun
mi·cro·bi·ome
| \ ˌmī-krō-ˈbī-ˌōm
\
\
Definition of microbiome
1
: a community of microorganisms (such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses) that inhabit a particular environment and especially the collection of microorganisms living in or on the human body
Your body is home to about 100 trillion bacteria and other microbes, collectively known as your microbiome.— Carl Zimmer … what's arguably become the hottest area of medicine: microbiome research, an emerging field that's investigating how the bacteria that live in and on our bodies affect our health.— Sunny Sea Gold
2
: the collective genomes of microorganisms inhabiting a particular environment and especially the human body
They form one community among the many that make up the human microbiome: the full genetic complement of bacteria and other organisms at home on your skin, gums, and teeth, in your genital tract, and especially in your gut.— Nathan Wolfe
Examples of microbiome in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
And yet the soil microbiome is little known and even less appreciated. — Quanta Magazine, "Soil’s Microbial Market Shows the Ruthless Side of Forests," 27 Aug. 2019 Each contributes its unique microbiomes—fungi, beneficial bacteria, and tiny organisms that promote healthy plant growth. — Eric Velasco, al, "Follow the journey of local food from seed to plate," 13 Aug. 2019 In fact, after five generations, the descendants of the original mice still carried their original microbiomes. — Nicolas Rivero, Quartz, "Dirtier lab mice could make drug trials more reliable," 1 Aug. 2019 Rehermann belongs to the camp that wants to give the rodents a more natural microbiome—the community of germs living in and around their bodies. — Nicolas Rivero, Quartz, "Dirtier lab mice could make drug trials more reliable," 1 Aug. 2019 For the last decade, the role of the microbiome in ocular health was controversial. — Scientific American, "Meet the Eye Microbiome," 23 June 2019 Our team at the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases decided to develop a different approach, with the skin microbiome in mind. — Ian Myles, CNN, "A possible new weapon against eczema: live bacteria," 17 May 2018 Advanced testing, including for metabolism and heavy metals (NutrEval) and food sensitivities, is embraced, alongside genetics, hormone and microbiome checks in order to fully customize long-term plans (some guests stay for months). — Kathryn Romeyn, The Hollywood Reporter, "6 Hollywood-Loved Spas and Clinics Where Stars Seek Secrets to Living Longer," 8 Aug. 2019 Both methods have been shown to give lab mice more robust microbiomes, but neither method inoculates the rodents from birth. — Nicolas Rivero, Quartz, "Dirtier lab mice could make drug trials more reliable," 1 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'microbiome.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for microbiome
microbiome
noun
mi·cro·bi·ome
| \ ˌmī-krō-ˈbī-ˌōm
\
\
Medical Definition of microbiome
1
: a community of microorganisms (such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses) that inhabit a particular environment and especially the collection of microorganisms living in or on the human body
The intestinal microbiome consists of the microorganisms that inhabit the gut.— Clara Abraham et al., The New England Journal of Medicine, 19 Nov. 2009 Collectively known as the microbiome, this community may play a role in regulating one's risk of obesity, asthma and allergies.— Carrie Arnold, Scientific American, March 2012 The human oral microbiome comprises all microbial species in the oral cavity.— Naomi P. O'Grady, The Journal of the American Medical Association, 20 June 2012
2
: the collective genomes of microorganisms inhabiting a particular environment and especially the human body
As part of a new citizen-science initiative called the American Gut project, the lab sequenced my microbiome—that is, the genes not of "me," exactly, but of the several hundred microbial species with whom I share this body.— Michael Pollan, The New York Times, 19 May 2013 Together, the genomes of these microbial symbionts (collectively defined as the microbiome) provide traits that humans did not need to evolve on their own.— Peter J. Turnbaugh et al., Nature, 18 Oct. 2007