microflora
/ˌmī-krə-ˈflȯr-ə/ (ame, mw)
microflora — noun
1. All the tiny plants, bacteria, and other microorganisms that live together in a
All the tiny plants, bacteria, and other microorganisms that live together in a particular natural environment, such as soil, a body of water, or the digestive system of an animal.
The soil microflora in the Amazon rainforest helps break down dead leaves into nutrients for new plants.
collocation: soil microflora
Dr. Okonkwo is studying how chemical fertilisers change the natural microflora of rice paddies in West Africa.
Changes in the gut microflora can affect how well a person digests common foods like milk and beans.
Yuki collected water samples from the mountain lake to study the microflora living there.
Aiko's doctor warned her that the antibiotics for her ear infection might reduce the variety of microflora in her intestine.
- microbiota
more recent and broader term covering all microorganisms including viruses and fungi
- microbial community
more descriptive; often used in ecology papers
- macroflora
refers to larger visible plants in an area
文法句型
microflora + of + [environment]
[adjective] + microflora
用法筆記
Most often used as an uncountable noun referring to the whole collection of microorganisms in a habitat, rather than individual species.
常見錯誤
2. A group of microorganisms that live in a very small, specific space or micro-hab
A group of microorganisms that live in a very small, specific space or micro-habitat, such as a particular patch of skin, a crack in a rock, or a single section of the digestive tract.
The microflora on a person's hands changes after thirty seconds of washing with soap.
preposition pattern: microflora on [body part]
Arjun studied the microflora living inside the narrow cracks of a hundred-year-old stone bridge.
The mouth's microflora includes hundreds of different bacteria living on the teeth, gums, and tongue.
Dr. Patel pointed to the dry patch behind Leila's ear and noted that different skin areas have their own microflora.
Elena swabbed the corner of the lab bench to check whether the microflora matched the sample from the floor drain.
- microbial population
emphasises the count and distribution of organisms in the small area
- local flora
less common in technical writing but sometimes used
文法句型
microflora + of + [specific location]
microflora + on + [body part]
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 by scale: sense 1 refers to the microflora of a broad environment (a whole forest, the entire gut), while sense 2 refers to the microflora of a precisely defined small space (a single tooth, a specific patch of soil).