Chapter 2

Question 1

___ train the immune system from infancy, helping it distinguish between pathogens and harmless microbes

Answer 1

Gut microbiota

Question 2

beneficial bacteria produce ___that regulate immune cell activity and prevent excessive inflammation

Answer 2

short-chain fatty acids

Question 3

___ produces butyrate, which reduces gut inflammation and is protective against inflammatory bowel disease

Answer 3

faecalibacterium prausnitzii

Question 4

microbial imbalance

Answer 4

dysbiosis

Question 5

dysbiosis can lead to:

Answer 5

Autoimmune diseases;
allergies

Question 6

gut microbes synthesize essential vitamins (__ and __) and produce __ that regulate metabolism

Answer 6

B vitamin, vitamin K;
SCFAs

Question 7

enhances gut barrier function and is linked to lower obesity risk

Answer 7

Akkermansia muciniphila

Question 8

Dysbiosis can lead to obesity and type 2 diabetes by altering :3

Answer 8

-energy extraction from food;
- insulin sensitivity via inflammatory pathways
- fat storage by modulating hormones like GLP-1 and leptin

Question 9

connects the microbiome to the nervous system

Answer 9

gut-brain axis

Question 10

ways how gut-brain axis connects the microbiome to the nervous system: 3

Answer 10

Neural signaling;
Microbial metabolites;
immune regulation

Question 11

the ___ nerve transmits gut signals to the brain

Answer 11

vagus

Question 12

___- influence neurotransmitter production;
___-modulate brain inflammation

Answer 12

SCFA;
Gut bacteria

Question 13

___ and ___ strains increase __ production, reducing depression and anxiety symptoms

Answer 13

Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium;
serotonin

Question 14

Dysbiosis is linked to (3)

Answer 14

autism spectrum disorder; depression and neurodegenerative diseases (Parkinson’s/Alzheimers)

Question 15

is linked to an overgrowth of pro-inflammatory bacteria

Answer 15

IBD (Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis)

Question 16

dysbiosis weakens the gut barrier, allowing bacteria to trigger chronic inflammation

Answer 16

IBD

Question 17

reduced levels of ___ are found in IBD patients

Answer 17

Faecalibacterium prausnitzii

Question 18

the gut microbiome affects metabolism by regulating (3)

Answer 18

fat storage, appetite, and insulin sensitivity

Question 19

key microbes in metabolism

Answer 19

Firmicuctes;
bacteroidetes

Question 20

___- higher levels linked to obesity
____- higher levels in lean individuals

Answer 20

Firmicuctes;
bacteroidetes

Question 21

is associated with colorectal cancer due to its ability to trigger inflammation and suppress immune response

Answer 21

Fusobacterium nucleatum

Question 22

____ diets promote gut microbial diversity

Answer 22

high-fiber, plant-based

Question 23

broad-spectrum antibiotics can kill beneficial bacteria leading to:

Answer 23

opportunistic infections;
long-term metabolic changes

Question 24

live beneficial microbes; used to restore microbial balance

Answer 24

probiotics

Question 25

common strains of probiotics

Answer 25

Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Bifidobacterium longum

Question 26

___ can reduce antibiotic-associated diarrhea

Answer 26

Probiotic

Question 27

fiber that feeds beneficial microbes

Answer 27

prebiotics

Question 28

prebiotics are found in (4)

Answer 28

garlic, onions, bananas, chicory root

Question 29

___ a prebiotic fiber, promotes Bifidobacterium growth

Answer 29

Inulin

Question 30

restores gut microbiota by transplanting stool from a healthy donor

Answer 30

Fecal microbiota transplantation

Question 31

FMT is highly effective in treating recurrent ___ infection

Answer 31

C. difficile

Question 32

microbial metabolites with health benefits

Answer 32

Postbiotics

Question 33

viruses that selectively kill harmful bacteria

Answer 33

bacteriophage therapy

Question 34

genetically modified bacteria for treating metabolic disorders

Answer 34

engineered probiotics

Question 35

ethical considerations in microbiome research and biotechnology (6)

Answer 35

1. Informed consent & privacy 2. Equity & Access to Microbiome-based Treatments 3. Environmental and Ecological Risks 4. Safety & Regulation 5. Commercialization & Biopiracy 6. Dual-use concerns