Table 1.

Glossary of terms.

Terms	Description
Microbiota	Microbial community in a particular environment. May be used interchangeably with “microbiome.”
Microbiome	Combined genetic material of microorganisms in a particular environment. May be used interchangeably with “microbiota.”
Microbe	A microorganism, especially a bacterium causing disease or fermentation.
Diversity	The range of different types of organisms and their relative abundance in a particular environment.
16S rRNA	16S ribosomal RNA is a subunit of the ribosomal RNA containing specific signature sequences useful for bacterial identification.
Abundance	Relative level of a microbe