Abstract
So far, we have tended to emphasise the benefits of symbiotic association between the host and its gut microbiota. On the other hand, we know only too well that micro-organisms and viruses pose a continual threat to the survival of multicellular life forms, and these micro-organisms include many that either inhabit, or pass through, our gut. A wide range of viruses, bacteria and fungi are pathogens that have the ability to infect particular host species, while many protozoal species are pathogenic or parasitic. This has imposed incredibly strong selection for systems and mechanisms that help the host animal to defend itself against attack from micro-organisms and viruses.
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Flint, H.J. (2020). Host Responses to Gut Microbes. In: Why Gut Microbes Matter. Fascinating Life Sciences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-43246-1_10
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-43246-1_10
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