microbiota

[ mahy-kroh-bahy-oh-tuh ]

noun

, (used with a singular or plural verb)

1. the microorganisms, both flora and fauna, that inhabit a particular region, when considered collectively.
2. the microorganisms that live in the human body, symbiotically or pathologically. microbiome.

Word History and Origins

Origin of microbiota¹

First recorded in 1925–30; micro- ( def ) + biota ( def )

Example Sentences

Previous studies with centenarians in Italy and China, for example, found that centenarians carried an abundance of two strains, suggesting those who successfully age also have microbiota that flexibly change and adapt.

From Singularity Hub 

They then used a tool called metagenomic sequencing, an ultra-fancy DNA sequencing method that detects DNA from a group of samples, to unveil the microbiota strains and their abundance.

From Singularity Hub 

The findings point to the possibility of microbiota manipulation as a preventive for Alzheimer’s.

From Time

Different diets also affect the microbiota, indicating some flexibility in the microbes a species can harbor.

From Nautilus

One intriguing possibility may lie in the billions of microbes, collectively termed the microbiota, that live on and within our bodies.

From No Straight News

Breast milk is the perfect food, formed by natural selection to have everything the developing child—and its microbiota—needs.

From The Daily Beast