Article Summary: Understanding Structure, Function and Diversity of
Article
Summary: "Understanding Structure, Function and Diversity of
Healthy Human Microbiome"
Summary
Medical research in the 21st century new understanding of the characterizations of the structure, function, and diversity of the healthy human microbiome allows advancing beyond the empirical stages of study into new areas seeking answers about Western population health and disease. Using a large sampling of 4,788 specimens from 242 screened and determined disease free male and female adults provided the source of the study. Aagaard et al. (2013, pp. 212-213) describe the methodology used microbiome samples coming from "up to 18 body sites at one or two time points from 242 individuals clinically screened for absence of disease". These samples underwent RNA gene pyrosequencing with a "subset shotgun-sequenced for metagenomics" taken from the tongue, posterior forni and mid area of the vagina, anterior nares (nostril), the antecubital fossa of the elbow region, and the retroauricular crease behind the ear. In addition, samplings tested the macrobiome of the Firmicutes of the body mass index (BMI) in the gut (Million et al, 2013) region. The study methodology, categorized the samplings by race, ethnicity, gender, and age.
Findings
As reported by Aagaard et al. (2013, pp 212-213) "Age and BMI (as) more representative of typically modest phenotypic associations (this suggests) that variation in the healthy microbiota may correspond to other host or environmental factors" not yet understood. The findings reveal how microbiome characteristics greatly differ even in healthy adult humans the gut, vagina, and skin. Race, ethnicity, and age added characteristic diversity of the microbiome. FAlong with the vast diversity as well as abundance of signature microbiomes existing in each tested habitat the findings also reveal according to the individual research participant there exist resilient niche adaptation. Additionally, according to the Project Consortium authors (2012, p. 207) "an estimated 81–99% of the genera, enzyme families and community configurations occupied the healthy Western microbiome" thus deriving, that "metabolic pathways was stable among individuals despite variation in community structure, and ethnic/racial background". This evidenced it "to be one of the strongest associations of both pathways and microbes with clinical metadata." In addition, the findings define the scope of both operational and structural relationships associated with normal microbial populations in healthy individuals.
Meanings of the Findings
Variants in the findings when combined in relationship to this vanguard study including both metagenomic data and a marker gene across the habitats tested using a large sampling human population reveals the data's importance to indispensable medical understanding of how the microbiota underpins much of human health and disease factors. This connects to implications of how practical variants among each human could reveal specific pathways conserving collective structures in the human body when confronted with immunity issues connect to potential undesirable exposure to dietary or environmental factors. Further findings a look at the need for understanding what role microbiota plays in health and disease connected to core variable protein families' role in both human health and disease (Project Consortium, 2012
The Broader Significance
In line with the National Institute of Health 2013 Human Microbiome Project overview the research described in the article underpins the significance of such research focusing on the microbial cells of the healthy human because medical science researchers estimate they outnumber human cells in general 10 to one. At the same time, little literature exists about the influence of the microbial cell on human physiological development adding to the significance of this largest of studies on the subject to date contributing to the medical field understanding of health and disease in the human body (2013).
References
Consortium of the Human Microbiome Project. 2012. Understanding Structure, Function and
Diversity of Healthy Human Microbiome. Nature. Vol. 486.
Million, M., Angelakis, E., Maraninchi, M., and et al. 2013. Correlation between Body Mass Index and Gut Concentrations of Lactobacillus Reuteri, Bifidobacterium Animalis, Methanobrevibacter Smithii and Escherichia Coli. International Journal of Obesity. 37:11, pp. 460-466.
National Institute of Health. 2013. Human Microbiome Project: Overview. [Available online] <https://commonfund.nih.gov/hmp/overview> [Accessed 17 December 2013]
