Reference entry
Alpha Diversity
Plain-English definitions of microbiome research vocabulary — the terms you'll see across articles, testing services, and probiotic claims.
Glossary context
Defined
in the site-wide microbiome glossary
Definition
A measure of the variety of microbial species within a single sample or environment (e.g., one person's gut). Higher alpha diversity is generally associated with better health outcomes.
Related terms
Beta Diversity
A measure of how different microbial communities are between samples or individuals. Used in research to compare microbiome composition across populations, diets, or health conditions.
Microbiome
The complete collection of microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, fungi, archaea) and their genetic material within a specific environment, such as the human gut.