Human gut microbiota – its diversity and impact on our health

Abstract

The human digestive tract is the living environment for billions of cells of various microorganisms that are part of the human microflora. The use of modern molecular biology techniques, such as NGS (Next Generation Sequencing), made it possible to study the microorganisms inhabiting the intestines and to understand their impact on human health. The gut microbiota plays a significant role in the synthesis and metabolism of many nutrients and metabolites, including short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), amino acids, lipids, bile acids and vitamins. Many factors such as diet, age, climate, and socioeconomic conditions influence the diversity of the microbiota. Rapid changes in the composition of the microbiota (disturbance of homeostasis) can lead to dysbiosis - a condition associated not only with intestinal disorders, but also with numerous extraintestinal diseases. The present work is a review of current reports on: research techniques used to analyze microbiota, the impact of various factors on its diversity and the impact of microbiota on our health.