microbiota

noun
mi·​cro·​bi·​o·​ta | \ ˌmī-krō-bī-ˈō-tə How to pronounce microbiota (audio) \

Definition of microbiota

: the microscopic organisms of a particular environment : microbiome sense 1 It's very possible that the master key to unlocking chronic disease will turn out to be the health and composition of the microbiota in your gut.— Michael Pollan and Ruth Reichl

Keep scrolling for more

Other Words from microbiota

microbiotic \ ˌmī-​krō-​bī-​ˈä-​tik How to pronounce microbiotic (audio) \ adjective
the microbiotic environment of the gut

Examples of microbiota in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Until several years ago, fecal microbiota transplants, or FMTs, were completely unregulated. Linda Carroll, NBC News, "There were no guidelines for fecal transplants. Then, a patient died.," 25 Aug. 2019 Iron in the water adhered to the trapped, rotting microbiota, hardening the structure. Peter Byrne, Quanta Magazine, "Early Life in Death Valley," 24 Apr. 2014 Do disparate animals with the equivalent of fad diets — eating only ants and termites, for instance — develop similar gut microbiota over evolutionary time? Joshua Sokol, New York Times, "The Vampire Birds of the Galápagos Have Fascinating Inner Lives," 8 June 2019 Known as fecal microbiota for transplantation, it has been used to treat cases of Clostridium difficile, or C. diff, that haven't responded to traditional antibiotic treatments. Nadia Kounang, CNN, "FDA issues safety alert over fecal transplants after patient's death," 13 June 2019 The collection of bacteria found in the healthy stool — called the microbiota — repopulate the colon of the patient, and essentially crowd out the infectious bacteria. Sara G. Miller, NBC News, "Patient dies from fecal transplant containing drug-resistant bacteria," 13 June 2019 Some paleoscientists who agree with Knauth that Precambrian lands were green with microbiota do not believe that early animals, or their precursors, were necessarily lurking in those bacterial jungles. Peter Byrne, Quanta Magazine, "Early Life in Death Valley," 24 Apr. 2014 Probiotics are meant to encourage diversity in the microbiota populating the intestine, which helps to process the nutrients in food. Mackenzie Wagoner, Vogue, "What’s the Best Way to Cleanse? A Guide to Detoxing in 2019," 1 Jan. 2019 The healthier the diet, the healthier the microbiota, in other words, and the better the digestive system can function. Mackenzie Wagoner, Vogue, "What’s the Best Way to Cleanse? A Guide to Detoxing in 2019," 1 Jan. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'microbiota.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

See More

First Known Use of microbiota

1914, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for microbiota

micro- + biota

Keep scrolling for more

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for microbiota

microbiota

noun
mi·​cro·​bi·​o·​ta | \ -bī-ˈōt-ə How to pronounce microbiota (audio) \

Medical Definition of microbiota

: the microscopic organisms of a particular environment : microbiome sense 1 The more we learn about our microbiota, however, the more we realize how easy it is for helpful microbes to get caught in the line of fire between an antibiotic and its intended target.— Nathan Wolfe, National Geographic, January 2013 … the microbiota on the tongue differ from those species living in plaque on teeth.— Mel Rosenberg, Scientific American, April 2002

Other Words from microbiota

microbiotic \ -​bī-​ˈät-​ik How to pronounce microbiotic (audio) \ adjective
microbiotic life