Microbiome
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Covers What Is a Microbiome?, How Gut Bacteria Shape Health, Microbial Diversity and Resilience and more.
“Microbiome” is a 4-lesson course at Teen level, created with soclever, a personal AI teacher. Each lesson takes a few minutes and ends with a check-in question; finish the curriculum and you can take a certificate test to earn a diploma. Try the first lesson without an account — or make your own course on any topic.
What you'll learn
- What Is a Microbiome?. Right now, there are more individual living cells in your body that aren't you than cells that are actually you.
- How Gut Bacteria Shape Health. Your gut is home to trillions of bacteria—a living ecosystem that most of us never think about until something goes wrong.
- Microbial Diversity and Resilience. In the 1980s, researchers studying people with inflammatory bowel disease noticed something striking: their gut bacteria looked nothing like the bacteria in healthy people.
- Dysbiosis and How We Study It. Dysbiosis is an imbalance in the microbial community living in or on your body — when the wrong microbes dominate, or the right ones vanish, and your health suffers as a result.
Lesson 1: What Is a Microbiome?
Right now, there are more individual living cells in your body that aren't you than cells that are actually you. You're outnumbered by trillions of microscopic organisms, and that's not a sign of infection — it's completely normal and essential to how you survive.
These organisms are bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other microbes so small you'd need a microscope to see them. Collectively, we call this entire community living inside and on your body your microbiome. The word breaks down simply: "micro" means tiny, and "biome" means a living ecosystem.
Your microbiome isn't confined to one spot. The largest and most studied population lives in your gut — specifically your large intestine — where trillions of bacteria help you digest food and absorb nutrients your own cells can't handle alone. But you also have microbiomes on your skin, in your mouth, in your lungs, and even in other places. Think of each location as a different neighborhood with its own mix of residents.
These microbes aren't passengers taking a free ride. They produce vitamins you need, train your immune system to recognize threats, and prevent harmful bacteria from taking over. When your microbiome is balanced and diverse, you tend to have better digestion, stronger immunity, and even more stable mood. When it's disrupted — say, by antibiotics killing off the beneficial bacteria along with the bad — you can feel the difference immediately.
Your microbiome is as much a part of your body's function as your liver or heart. You're not fighting it; you're living in partnership with it.
Questions this course answers
What does the word microbiome mean?
The word breaks down simply: micro means tiny, and biome means a living ecosystem.
What are short-chain fatty acids?
Short-chain fatty acids are molecules that feed your gut cells and calm inflammation throughout your body.
What is metagenomics?
Metagenomics sequences the DNA of all the microbes in a sample at once.
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