From a scientific perspective, a holobiont can be defined as a “host and all its associated symbiotic organisms and viruses” (Hine, 2018).. For example, a lichen can be viewed as a holobiont comprising algal and fungal partners. More broadly, a human individual plus the microorganisms contained within the gut or living on the skin surface may also constitute a holobiont. This ‘superorganism’ is regarded by some as the organizational level at which natural selection acts" (Hine, 2018)
