100x+ more Microbial DNA in our bodies than human DNA!
Sep
12
DNA of these gut microbiomes are sophisticated and adaptable. They are able to take in pieces of DNA, then incorporate them into their genomes. These tiny microbes are a flexible learning machine that seeks out resources in its environment they ingest for useful purposes. The microbes undergo a trial and error process to solve all the problems, trying new proteins until it finds one that addresses its needs.
A “keystone species” microbe that resides in the human gut is the ruminococcus bromii. It is a dominant member of the suite of human gut microbiome that triggers energy and it digests resistant starches by breaking down and releasing enzymes from these starches. The ruminococcus bromii primarily reside in the colon. The function of it as a keystone species enables the proper functioning of other downline microbial activity, much in the same way that the presence of wolves in Yellowstone Park is a keystone species to maintain a balance in the park’s ecosystem.
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