microflora
/ˈmaɪ.kroʊˌflɔːr.ə/ · mi·cro·flor·a
noun
- Microscopic plant‑like life, especially the bacterial colonies that normally inhabit the gastrointestinal tract of healthy animals and humans. The doctor explained that a balanced microflora is essential for proper digestion and immune function.
Synonyms
gut floraintestinal floramicrobiotanormal floraresident microbescommensal bacteriaintestinal microbiomehost‑associated microbes
Antonyms
Did you know? Although ‘flora’ originally referred to plants, the term microflora persisted for decades before scientists adopted the more accurate ‘microbiota’ to emphasize that many of these organisms are bacteria, not plants.