Microbial communities are complex and dynamic, composed of hundreds of taxa interacting across multiple spatial scales. Advances in sequencing and imaging technology have led to great strides in understanding both the composition and the spatial organization of these complex communities. In the human mouth, sequencing results indicate that distinct sites host microbial communities that not only are distinguishable but to a meaningful degree are composed of entirely different microbes. Imaging suggests that the spatial organization of these communities is also distinct. Together, the literature supports the idea that most oral microbes are site specialists. A clear understanding of microbiota structure at different sites in the mouth enables mechanistic studies, informs the generation of hypotheses, and strengthens the position of oral microbiology as a model system for microbial ecology in general.

中文翻译：

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口腔微生物组的生物地理学：现场专家假说。

微生物群落复杂而动态，由数百个跨多个空间尺度相互作用的分类群组成。测序和成像技术的进步在理解这些复杂群落的组成和空间组织方面取得了长足的进步。在人类口腔中，测序结果表明，不同的位点承载着微生物群落，这些微生物群落不仅可以区分，而且在一定程度上由完全不同的微生物组成。成像表明这些群落的空间组织也各不相同。总之，文献支持大多数口腔微生物是位点专家的观点。清楚地了解口腔不同部位的微生物群结构可以进行机械研究，为假设的产生提供信息，