New words – 19 November 2012

microbiome noun all of the trillions of microbes that live in the human body considered together

Tending the microbiome may also help in the treatment of disorders that may not seem to have anything to do with bacteria, including obesity and diabetes.

[New York Times (US broadsheet) 19 June 2012]

motif noun a particular genetic pattern that is passed on from one generation to the next

In particular they looked at a snippet of DNA called the Malagasy motif, found almost exclusively in Madagascar.

[New York Times (US broadsheet) 10 April 2012]

virome noun all of the viruses that live in the human body considered together; a part of the human microbiome

Many species in the human ‘virome’ specialize in infecting our resident bacteria.

[New York Times (US broadsheet) 19 June 2012]

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