The human gut microbiota is neither an organ nor a commensal.
FEBS Lett
; 594(20): 3262-3271, 2020 10.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-33011965
ABSTRACT
The recent explosive increase in the number of works on gut microbiota has been accompanied by the spread of rather vague or improper definitions, chosen more for common use than for experimental evidence. Among them are those defining the human gut microbiota as an organ of our body or as a commensal. But, is the human gut microbiota an organ or a commensal? Here, we address this issue to spearhead a reflection on the real roles of the human gut microbiota in our life. Actually, the misuse of the vocabulary used to describe the properties and functions of the gut microbiota may generate confusion and cause misunderstandings both in the scientific community and among the general public.
Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Symbiosis
/
Gastrointestinal Microbiome
Limits:
Humans
Language:
En
Journal:
FEBS Lett
Year:
2020
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Italy