The Gut Microbiota and the Development of the Brain.docx

The Gut Microbiota and the Development of the BrainThe human gut host 1014?bacterial organisms, an amount that exceeds even the number of somatic cells within the body. When combined with the bacteria living both inside and on the human body (a community collectively known as microbiota, dwelling in the human microbiome), it is estimated that these (mostly) friendly intruders outnumber the somatic and germ cells of their human home by a factor of 10 (Neufeld, Turnbaugh). Specific to the human gut is the commensal microflora, the microbial community that enters into an important symbiotic association with the human host beginning with the colonization of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract by the bacteria within the first few postnatal days.?The systematic takeover of the GI tract by this diverse array of microorganisms is actually a fairly useful and peaceful invasion, not the hostile takeover its numbers suggest it would be (Neufeld).?Called “developmental processing,” the phenomenon begins at birth, continues through early development, and remains for life. Developmental processing is actually defined as a process by which environmental factors act during vulnerable or sensitive developmental periods and thus exert influences that impact the structure and function of organs that last throughout life (Heijtz). However, although the colonization of microbiota is due to postnatal environmental factors and is also affected by genetics, the relative abundance and distribution along the GI tract of the human microbiome is similar across healthy individuals, even those residing in different countries with different diets (Duff). The number and type of helpful bacteria is relatively consistent and is difficult to change. This stability is important because of the influences the microflora has on the development of a range of systems in the body. For example, the microbiota is essential to the proper development of the mucosal and systemic immune systems and in nutrient uptake