Microbiome Diversity
Plain-English definitions of microbiome research vocabulary — the terms you'll see across articles, testing services, and probiotic claims.
The variety and abundance of different microbial species in a given environment. Greater diversity is consistently associated with better health outcomes, while reduced diversity is linked to obesity, inflammatory bowel disease, and other chronic conditions.
Related terms
Alpha Diversity
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.
Dysbiosis
An imbalance in the composition or function of the microbiome, typically characterised by reduced diversity, loss of beneficial bacteria, or overgrowth of potentially harmful species.