microbiome
noun
mi·cro·bi·ome
| \ ˌmī-krō-ˈbī-ˌōm
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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
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. 2019 Taken together, the results show there is no microbiome in the placenta unless it is infected, Charnock-Jones says. — Juanita Bawagan, Science | AAAS, "Babies get critical gut bacteria from their mother at birth, placenta study suggests," 31 July 2019 But the microbiome field is still littered with open questions, and companies and supplement makers have leapt over the holes to make remarkable claims with flimsy studies—and hawk unsubstantiated products. — Beth Mole, Ars Technica, "New York Times falls for “obesity probiotic” hype," 5 July 2019 After the follow-up, participants still showed healthy microbiome diversity, but the bacteria populations in their guts had shifted away from resembling the donor to become more personalized. — Bob Roehr, Smithsonian, "How the Gut Microbiome Could Provide a New Tool to Treat Autism," 14 June 2019 Through a free, hour-long course called Seed University, influencers are schooled on the science of microbiomes and probiotics, as well as the FTC’s guidelines on responsible product endorsement. — Anne Quito, Quartzy, "A new “university” for Instagram influencers aims to stop the spread of misinformation," 23 July 2019 To avoid the effects of an unbalanced microbiome, Cook says there are several ways to foster a healthy community of gut microorganisms in a dog. — Texas A&m University, Houston Chronicle, "Pet Talk: The benefits of a balanced microbiome," 13 July 2019 Two years later, the researchers put mature and immature microbiomes from children into mice raised without microbes. — Elizabeth Pennisi, Science | AAAS, "Starving children often don’t recover, even when fed enough. Restoring their gut bacteria could help," 11 July 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