microbiome is part of the immune engine room

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Categories: Comparisons

An example of metaphor in public science discourse:

"And it is increasingly thought that the microbiome is a key component, a key part of the engine that explains why we are seeing this collective change in chronic disease risk…

the largest microbiome is within the gut, and it is of such significant importance, not just because it's the largest, it's because that's where the majority of our immune engine lives and exists…

And what you see is that the microbiome is a very important part of the engine room that explains why a high fibre diet has so many important health properties…"

Dr James Kinross

Dr James Kinross (Senior Lecturer in Colorectal Surgery and a Consultant Surgeon at Imperial College London) was speaking on an episode ('Allergies and the Microbiome') of BBC's 'Start the Week'

[Please be aware that a word may have different nuances, or even a different meaning, according to context.]« Back to Index

Author: Keith

Former school and college science teacher, teacher educator, research supervisor, and research methods lecturer. Emeritus Professor of Science Education at the University of Cambridge.