The Impact of the Gut Microbiota on Human Health
1. Discuss how the gut microbiota is first established in an individual and how it evolves/changes after birth. (Be sure to include the specific organisms involved in the two birthing processes.
2. How does the microbiome affect immunity and contribute to disease? How do antibiotics affect the microbiome? Conversely, how do the microbes in our bodies affect how we respond to various drugs?
3. Think about how combinations of microbes affect nutrition and how changes in one's diet affect the microbiome. Now apply this to your lifestyle. What role do you think your particular diet is having on your own gut microbiota? What changes do you think you could make to create a "healthier" gut microbiome?