“Meet Your Human Microbiota: The Unsung Heroes Inside You” A new frontier in health – By Dr Harold Gunatillake “Hello, everyone! Today, we’re going on an incredible journey inside our bodies to meet some of the most important yet often overlooked inhabitants—the microbiota in our large gut.” Before we discuss microbiota, I must explain the difference between microbiome and microbiota. The microbiome refers to collecting genomes, which means the complete set of DNA (genetic material) in an organism from all the microorganisms in the environment. Microbiota, conversely, usually relates to microorganisms found within a specific environment, which is the gut in the present talk. However, microbiota can refer to all organisms found in an environment, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi. So, what is Microbiota? “Imagine a bustling city with trillions of residents; this is what our large gut looks like under a microscope. The microbiota consists of bacteria, viruses, ...
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Health & Views – October 2019 2nd issue – By Harold Gunatillake Health & Views October 2019 2nd issue Health & Views: Health Newsletter for the Sri Lankans & others , globally October 2019 2nd issue Why So Many Bacteria Live on the Surface of Your Eye By Tony St. Leger, University of Pittsburgh You may be familiar with the idea that your gut and skin are home to a collection of microbes — fungi, bacteria and viruses — that are vital for keeping you healthy. But did you know that your eyes also host a unique menagerie of microbes? Together, they’re called the eye microbiome. When these microbes are out of balance — too many or too few of certain types — eye diseases may emerge. With a recent study showing bacteria live on the surface of the eye and stimulate protective immunity, ...
