Microbiome - Synonyms
The microbiome is otherwise known as the microbiota.
Both terms express the totality of microorganisms found in a given habitat.
It includes:
- mushrooms,
- bacteria,
- viruses,
- archeaons.
The term microbiome was proposed at the turn of the 20th century by Joshua Lederberg, an American microbiologist and geneticist of Jewish descent.
He is considered a definite pioneer of research in the topic of bacterial genetics.
Since most microbiota organisms (including fungi, bacteria) were also included in the plant world, you may encounter the terminology of microflora.
In addition, the term microfauna is used for soil microbiota, which includes bacteria and fungi, among others.
Compared to the physiological microflora, it contains all microorganisms in its composition, not excluding pathogenic ones.
In general, the terms microbiome and microbiota are commonly used, with the caveat that the former refers to a set of organisms and the latter to a set of their genomes.
Hence the difference. Yet both forms of nomenclature are commonly used interchangeably.
