Is the Gut Microbiota a New Factor Contributing to Obesity and Its Metabolic Disorders?

Figure 1

Association of the microbiota with humans. Microbiota presents in all parts of our body which has direct contact with external environment. The numbers of bacteria in the mouth (10¹⁰), on the skin (10¹²), and in the distal gut (10¹⁴) are presented in a relation to total number of parenchymal cells (10¹²). The composition of the microbiota in the digestive tract greatly differs in each of specialized compartments as illustrated [6, 13–15]. Physiological functions and chemical environment of each compartment are likely key factors influencing the bacterial habitants.