Is microbiome the same as bacteria?

No. Bacteria are one part of a microbiome. A microbiome includes many tiny organisms, not only bacteria.

Is microbiome a scientific word?

Yes. It is common in science, medicine, and health articles.

Can I say 'my microbiome' in everyday English?

Yes, especially when talking about health, diet, or medicine.

What's the difference between microbiome and microbiota?

Microbiota usually means the living microbes. Microbiome often means the microbes plus their genes and environment.

← Dictionary

microbiome

/ˈmaɪ.krəʊ.baɪ.əʊm/

IELTSAcademic

noun

The collection of all microorganisms, such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses, living in a particular place, especially in the human body. It also includes their genes and the environment they live in.

Your gut microbiome affects digestion.
Doctors are learning more about the skin microbiome.
A healthy microbiome may support immunity.

Adinary Nuance

A microbiome is not just one kind of microbe. It means the whole community of tiny organisms in a place, especially in the body. It is broader than microbiota, which usually means the organisms themselves, and broader than bacteria, which means only one type of microbe. Writers choose microbiome when they want to talk about the system as a whole.

In other languages

Vietnamese: hệ vi sinh
Spanish: microbioma
Chinese: 微生物组
Japanese: マイクロバイオーム
Korean: 마이크로바이옴

Etymology

Microbiome comes from microbiology, with the prefix micro- meaning 'small'. It became common in the early 2000s in science and health writing.

Common phrases

gut microbiomehealthy microbiomehuman microbiomeskin microbiome

Synonyms

microbiota microflora

Related words

bacteria microbe gut immunity

Frequently asked questions

Is microbiome the same as bacteria?: No. Bacteria are one part of a microbiome. A microbiome includes many tiny organisms, not only bacteria.
Is microbiome a scientific word?: Yes. It is common in science, medicine, and health articles.
Can I say 'my microbiome' in everyday English?: Yes, especially when talking about health, diet, or medicine.
What's the difference between microbiome and microbiota?: Microbiota usually means the living microbes. Microbiome often means the microbes plus their genes and environment.