Over the last 20 years, the life sciences have come to realize that all living beings—from the simplest animal and plant organisms to humans—live in close association with a multitude of microorganisms. Together with the multicellular host organism, these symbiotic bacteria, viruses and fungi, which colonize on and in their tissues and form the so-called microbiome, constitute a primarily beneficial community in the form of a metaorganism.
This article was originally published on MedicalXpress.com
