ABSTRACT
The microorganisms residing in the human body (microbiota) contribute to health and disease. These microbiota include millions of bacteria and fungus. The human microbiota is believed to be required for normal human development, physiology, and immunity. Thus, alterations in the microbiome make-up from what is considered to be “healthy” may have serious consequences. Recent research has implicated that microbiome imbalances may be associated with disorders as diverse as cancer, obesity, inflammatory bowel disease, psoriasis, asthma, and autism Microbiome refers to microorganisms and their genomes co-existing with their hosts.
The term bacteriome refers to the bacterial component of the microbiome that has been the focus of microbiome research until scientists recently started recognizing the role of the mycobiome, or fungal component, as well. Research indicates that the first three years of life are crucial for the establishment of the host microbiome and for the development of the immune system. A fine microbiome balance is crucial to maintain healthy host physiologic, metabolic and immunologic processes; while imbalance is associated with disease states.
In this chapter, we aim to describe the bacteriome and mycobiome in health and to describe and explore the role of the microbiome in various diseases and/or restoration of health.
