Researchers analyzed the gut bacteria in obese and non-obese mice and found that the bacterial populations differed. Transplanting gut bacteria from obese mice into the non-obese mice resulted in the non-obese mice gaining weight. What do these results show? Please select all that apply.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The researchers found that the bacterial populations differed between obese and non-obese mice. However, no information is given here regarding the relative diversities or abundance of the bacterial populations, so no conclusions can be drawn. Similarly, host behavior (e.g., diet type) can impact the microbiome, but no information about the impact of the host on the microbiome is given here so no conclusions can be drawn. However, the host phenotype changed in response to the gut transplant, showing that the microbiome could produce a phenotype in the host.

Researchers Analyzed the Gut Bacteria in Obese and Non-Obese Mice