Module Four, Lecture Thirty One

Question 1

What does HMP stand for?

Answer 1

The Human Microbiome Project ( 2008 )

Question 2

What is a microbiome?

Answer 2

The complete collection of microorganisms, and their genes within a particular environment

Question 3

What is a microbiota?

Answer 3

A individual microbial species in a biome ( bacteria, fungi, archaea and viruses )

Question 4

What are the goals of the HMP? ( 5 )

Answer 4

1. Develop a reference set of microbial genome sequences
2. Explore relationships between disease and the change
3. Develop new technology
4. Establish a research repository
5. To study the ethical, legal and social implications of the HMP

Question 5

What are the functions of the HM? ( 9 )

Answer 5

1. Prevents pathogens from being successful
2. Block colonisation niches
3. Competing for nutrients
4. Modifying environments to change
5. Making environments actively hostile ( producing bacteriocins and short chain fatty acids ( SCFA )
6. Lowering pH
7. Cause host to thicken mucus layer
8. Cause host to up regulate antimicrobial peptides
9. Primes host neutrophils and macrophages

Question 6

What is Gut Flora?

Answer 6

An ecosystem of microbes that live in your intestines

Question 7

What are the names of human microbial communities? ( 4 )

Answer 7

1. Firmicutes
2. Bacteroidetes
3. Actinobacteria
4. Proteobacteria

Question 8

What is the human gut known as?

Answer 8

Digestive tract - Highest density of microbes int he human body

Question 9

What are some functions of the Gut Microbiome? ( 4 )

Answer 9

1. Creates SCFA that modulate our metabolism and affects our defence against pathogens
2. Synthesis vitamins
3. Modulate the immune response
4. Alter drug delivery

Question 10

What does Functional Food stand for?

Answer 10

Health-promoting or disease-preventing properties beyond the basic functions of supplying nutrients

Question 11

What are Prebiotics?

Answer 11

Any ingredient that beneficially nourishes the good bacteria already in the large bowel or colon

Question 12

What are Probiotics?

Answer 12

Live microorganisms / fermented foods

Question 13

What do Prebiotics do?

Answer 13

Stimulate the growth of probiotics ( used like a fertiliser )

Question 14

What is Fecal Matter Transplants?

Answer 14

Fecal microbiota transplantation ( FMT ) is a highly successful treatment for multiple recurrences of Clostridium difficile infection ( CDI )

Question 15

What are the risks of FMT? ( 3 )

Answer 15

1. Diseases
2. Complications due to procedures
3. Identification of correct donors

Question 16

What are the solutions of FMT? ( 2 )

Answer 16

1. Synthetic communities
2. Stool banks