Microbiota
- Pronunciation
- /my-kroh-by-OH-tuh/
- Category
- Ecology
- Singular
- microbiota
- Plural
- microbiotas
Definition
The complete of microorganisms—including bacteria, archaea, fungi, protists, and viruses—that colonizes a organism or specific body . In , microbiota inhabit the gut, , reproductive tract, and specialized organs, often mediating digestion, nutrient synthesis, immune defense, chemical communication, and even host speciation through reproductive manipulation.
Etymology
New Latin, from Greek mikros (small) + biota (life, from bios)
Example
The gut microbiota of (Reticulitermes) includes cellulolytic flagellates and bacteria that enable wood digestion, while the intracellular bacterium pipientis infects an estimated 40–60% of , manipulating through .
Synonyms
- microbiome (often used interchangeably, though microbiome technically refers to the collective genomes)
Related Terms
Usage Notes
Microbiota emphasizes the organisms themselves; microbiome emphasizes their genetic content. The term is typically used as a mass noun (the microbiota) but can take plural microbiotas when comparing across different or . Contrast with (microscopic animals) and meiofauna. In medical/veterinary entomology, microbiota of (mosquitoes, ) critically influences vector competence for like Plasmodium or Borrelia.