suppose a researcher studied gut tissue samples from patients
with Crohn’s disease.
see more
Suppose a researcher studied gut tissue samples from patients with Crohn’s disease, an inflammatory gut disorder, and normal controls. He found that the identity and relative abundance of gut bacterial species varied within both the Crohn’s and the control populations. He also discovered general differences between the two populations. The guts of Crohn’s patients had reduced levels and diversity of bacteria from the phylum Firmicutes compared to those of controls. The guts of Crohn’s patients also had higher levels of bacteria from the phylum Proteobacteria than those of controls. Which type of study did the researcher perform? transcriptomic metagenomic genomic proteomic Which conclusions might you be able to draw from the data? Bacteria from the phylum Proteobacteria directly causes gut inflammation. Two normal individuals may have different compositions of bacteria in their guts. Environmental factors contribute to the development of Crohn’s disease. Bacteria from the phylum Firmicutes may provide protection against Crohn’s disease. Incorrect. At least one of your choices cannot be concluded from the data. The data support a conclusion about the composition of gut bacteria in different individuals and the role of a type of bacteria in the development of the disease. However, the data do not reveal any information about the mechanism through which bacteria affect disease development or whether other factors may be involved in the disease.