Jessica Yu

Period 4B
Summary:
The research article Bacterial biogeography of the human digestive tract shows the
approximate locations in the human body of digestive bacteria. It is the first comprehensive
characterization of these bacteria found in healthy human digestive systems. The study was
conducted on four healthy subjects, and demonstrated more than 32 million sequences of bacterial
rRNA genes, which represents more than 95,000 unique operational taxonomic units (OTUs).
This more or less means than there are more than 95,000 different bacterial species found in the
digestive tract according to this study. The OTUs of an individual usually overlap among broad
sites, such as the mouth, stomach, colon (part of the large intestine), and stool (feces), so the study
separated the OTUs into those categories.
The results show that there was more genetic variation between human subjects than
between sample sites from each gastrointestinal location, most likely due to unique individual
genetics. The mouth samples contained the most genetically similar bacteria among the subjects,
yet also with more genetic diversity. This study also found the smallest OTU numbers in the
stomach/duodenum. Microbial communities shift along the digestive tract, so there are clear
differences between the bacteria found in the colon and stool sites.
The research in this article is relevant to the identification of bacteria related to human
bodily processes and functions. It lays the foundation for further investigation on how bacteria in
the human body relate to health and disease.

Connections to the digestive system:

In all subjects, the mouth was shown to have the most bacteria, as well as the most
genetically diverse bacteria, likely because it is the entry point for GI bacteria. Thus, just
as food enters through the mouth only, microorganisms of all sorts land and are found in

Jessica Yu
Period 4B
the mouth. Other GI locations (stomach, duodenum, colon) are protected from direct

contact to the external environment.

The stomach and the duodenum contained the fewest bacteria, which is reasonable since
stomach acid kills many bacteria that are not suited to extremely low pHs. Since all the
bacteria must be evolved to survive in the acidic stomach environment, those bacteria are

in general, very similar to each other genetically, with little diversity.

The study demonstrated that both the colon and the stool shared some of their bacteria
with the mouth, but the colon and the stool were vastly different from each other. This can
be explained by, if the bacteria from the mouth follow the food along the GI tract, if the
bacteria do not become part of the feces, its stays in the GI tract, such as in the colon.
Additionally, the colon is predominantly an organ for water re-absorption, so the bacteria
involved in that process would be different from bacteria that break down nutrients or
mechanically digest the food.

Personal Reflection:
The article pertains to me as a human because it is one of the first research studies
conducted to identify bacteria in healthy human digestive systems and their locations. This
research helps me better understand my own body, how my digestive system works, and how
much it depends on microorganisms to function. I was already aware that bacteria found in our
bodies aid us in our metabolic functions, but I had no idea that the amount of bacteria was so large
and diverse.
Secondly, the article demonstrates the advancements in scientific and medical technology,
and predicts further in-depth research on the human body, which I would like to participate in
sometime in the future. I have long wanted to do scientific research, and the study here shows that
further study is definitely needed, and with more advanced machinery and equipment, scientists

Jessica Yu
Period 4B
can make more concrete and well-evidenced discoveries about the body in the future. For
example, the article states that the study found significantly greater OTU numbers in the stomach
than previous studies, meaning the equipment used to identify the OTUs may have become more
advanced. In the future, there will only be more technological improvements.
Lastly, I do research on cancer during an internship over the summer. The research
provided in this article could definitely help me in identifying microorganisms that relate to the
disease. Because the microbial communities that live in humans correlate to human metabolism
physiology, and function, these bacteria directly affect the immune system, which determines
vulnerability to diseases including cancer. Hence, with the information in this article, I can better
research the link between certain bacteria and cancers found in the digestive system.