Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun plural The microorganisms that normally inhabit an environment, such as the soil or a body of water.
  • noun plural The microorganisms that normally inhabit a bodily organ or part; flora.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun The microbial flora harbored by normal, healthy individuals.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

micro- +‎ biota

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Examples

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  • "There are microbes everywhere, including in the built environment, but the composition is different between natural environments and human-built areas," explained co-author Ilkka Hanski from the University of Helsinki. "The microbiota in natural environments is more beneficial for us," he told BBC News."

    - Mark Kinver, 'Lack of contact with nature 'increasing allergies'', bbc.co.uk, 8 May 2012.

    May 9, 2012