GLOSSARY

Methanogens are methane-producing archaea, not accurately classified as bacteria merely by casual wording.

Archaea differ from bacteria; some methanogens use hydrogen within metabolic networks. Fungi form another community including yeasts such as Candida and Saccharomyces. Stool fungi alone do not establish infection, small-intestinal overgrowth or a need for antifungals. Assessment requires site, symptoms and method. Nonbacterial organisms are not automatically enemies of nutrition or performance, and a bacterial sequencing panel cannot comprehensively describe every fungal or archaeal population.

Phylum, family, genus, species and strain are different taxonomic levels; one strain's result cannot automatically represent its whole genus. Scientific revisions change names while older names remain in reports. Match current and historical names when comparing labels with studies. A ratio between two large phyla alone does not diagnose obesity, health or athletic readiness, and classification is not a ranking of universal benefit.

Microbiota refers to organisms in an environment; microbiome can also include their genes and ecological setting, depending on the definition. Gut communities contain more than bacteria, and intestinal regions differ. Stool offers a useful view of part of this system, not a complete map of small-intestinal or mucosal populations. Define the sample and terminology before interpreting a report as a description of the entire body.