ABSTRACT
With the development of new technologies, there has been a rapid growth in our knowledge of the intestinal microbiota in terms of taxonomy, function, early development, and impact on lifelong health. The recent emergence of non-culture-based techniques to evaluate microbial DNA through the Human Genome Project is providing new insights into the relation that exists between microbes and their mammalian hosts. Microbial organisms found in the gastrointestinal tract play a signicant role in innate and adaptive immunity, intestinal growth, metabolism, and nutrition. They also inuence the balance of mucosal inammatory and anti-inammatory processes, which play a signicant role in overall illness and health.
