Question

How do smoking, antibiotic use, and diet affect the microbiome?

A) Smoking promotes microbial diversity, antibiotic use increases microbial abundance, and diet has no effect.
B) Smoking decreases microbial diversity, antibiotic use disrupts microbial composition, and diet influences microbial metabolism.
C) Smoking and antibiotic use both enhance microbial diversity, while diet has a minimal impact.
D) Smoking and diet decrease microbial abundance, while antibiotic use promotes microbial composition.

Answer 1

Smoking decreases microbial diversity, antibiotic use disrupts microbial composition, and diet significantly influences the metabolism and composition of the microbiome.

Step-by-step explanation:

How smoking, antibiotic use, and diet affect the microbiome is a critical question in understanding human health and the microbial communities that support it. Smoking tends to decrease microbial diversity, creating a less resilient microbial ecosystem in the body. Antibiotic use is known to disrupt the microbial composition, often killing beneficial bacteria alongside pathogenic ones, which can lead to increased risks for secondary infections and complications such as antibiotic-resistant infections. Diet plays a vital role in shaping the microbiome by influencing microbial metabolism; it affects the relative abundance of microbial species, their activity, and the production of substances beneficial for health. Certain diets can promote the growth of beneficial bacteria while others can support pathogenic species. Therefore, the correct answer to the question is B) Smoking decreases microbial diversity, antibiotic use disrupts microbial composition, and diet influences microbial metabolism.