What term means all of the microorganisms that live in a particular environment, such as a human body?

• A. Microorganism
• B. Microbiome
• C. Organisms
• D. Population

Answer: (B)

This question is about the community of tiny living things that inhabit a specific place. The term that names all of the microorganisms in a given environment, like the human body, is the microbiome. It includes bacteria, viruses, fungi, and archaea, along with their collective genes and interactions. The microbiome is distinct from a single microbe (microorganism) and from all living beings in general (organisms), and it’s also not just a population of one species but the whole community of species present in that environment. In humans, for example, the gut microbiome and skin microbiome reflect the diverse microbes living there and their roles in health.