microbiota

noun

mi·cro·bi·o·ta | \ ˌmī-krō-bī-ˈō-tə

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

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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 Less socializing, outdoor activity and exposure to animals may also deplete microbiota. — Fortune, "Why Washing Your Hands Too Much Could Make You Sick," 12 June 2018 Between one to ten percent of the mass and half the cells in animals are microbiota. — Jason Pontin, WIRED, "The 19th-Century Crank Who Tried to Tell Us About the Microbiome," 15 June 2018 And the skin, gut and tongue microbiota were all more alike among family members compared to outsiders. — Julissa Treviño, Smithsonian, "A Surprising Way Dogs Are Similar to Humans," 23 Apr. 2018 First, beginning in 2001, scientists observed that mice with different microbiota had different biologies, suggesting that resident bacteria could modulate the host’s gene expression. — Jason Pontin, WIRED, "The 19th-Century Crank Who Tried to Tell Us About the Microbiome," 15 June 2018 Your microbiota are mostly harmless, but many are functionally important to you also, crowding out more harmful microbes, teaching your immune system to recognize enemies, and influencing behavior like your appetite. — Jason Pontin, WIRED, "The 19th-Century Crank Who Tried to Tell Us About the Microbiome," 15 June 2018 The idea, usually, is to alter organisms in the gut, where about 99 percent of human microbiota live. — Fortune, "Why Washing Your Hands Too Much Could Make You Sick," 12 June 2018

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.

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20 Jan 2019

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Time Traveler for microbiota

The first known use of microbiota was in 1914

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More Definitions for microbiota

microbiota

noun

mi·cro·bi·o·ta | \ -bī-ˈōt-ə

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

\ adjective

microbiotic life

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