Microbiome: Its role in health and disease

The resident microorganism of the human body, termed human microbiome, encompasses whole gamut of microbial genes, gene products, and genomes. These microbial organisms, also known as microbiota, regard the human body as home. Normally colonizing the airway passages, skin, oral cavity, gastrointestinal, and vagina to prime immunity and to maintain host health. Specifically, the human gastrointestinal tract is populated with millions of microorganisms termed gut microbiota. These gut microbiota control the host physiology including immune system maturation and function as well as the nervous system thereby orchestrating the microbiota‐gut‐brain communication. Disruptions of the microbial interactions called dysbiosis alter gut homeostasis due to dietary changes, stress, illnesses, intake of drug particularly antibiotic, or other disturbances within the human host. The purpose of the study was to conduct a descriptive research on the role of microbiome in health and disease thereby increasing public awareness on the significance of alterations of the microbiome. Using different databases including PUBMed, Google Scholar, and CINAHL, articles were gathered and reviewed. Results of the study revealed that DNA sequencing, RT‐qPCR method, and fecal samples were used to identify genes and microorganisms that disrupt the human microbiome. As a result of the alterations, some of the microorganisms were identified include Prevotella , Clostridia, Atopobium , and Lactobacillus . These organisms altered the fermentation, produce extracellular enzymes and growth factors in the intestinal tract. Several diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, autism spectrum disorder, inflammatory bowel diseases, kidney diseases, to name a few, were associated with the dysbiosis of the microbiome. The findings suggest that gut dysbiosis in patients with the above mentioned disorders are associated with host metabolism and inflammation.