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Table 1 Key concepts

From: Pathobiont release from dysbiotic gut microbiota biofilms in intestinal inflammatory diseases: a role for iron?

Microbial Biofilms: Aggregates of microbial communities (best characterized for bacteria) that adhere to a surface and to each other, embedded within an extra-cellular matrix made of polysaccharides, proteins, and extracellular DNA. This represents the most common mode of growth of bacteria in nature.

Planktonic bacteria: Bacteria living in single form, swimming or floating in their environment

Pathobionts: Temporarily benign microbes, or commensals, that under environmental or host pressure may cause disease.

Gut microbiome: The aggregate collection of genomes and genes found in the gut microbiota.

Gut microbiota: The polymicrobial communities of viruses, bacteria, Archea, and Eukarya living as commensals in the gut.

Dysbiosis: Structural and /or functional imbalance of the gut microbiota.