Explain about Probiotics and Prebzotics?

We all have read or heard about probiotics and prebiotics at some point of time. However, what exactly do we mean by these terms? When were they identified? What are the benefits of these components and which foods/food products would contain them? These are a few questions which shall be answered through the discussions to be followed next. Well, during the initial stages, research and development of functional foods was confined to mostly those to which certain components such as micronutrients were added. However, one of the most promising current targets for functional food development is the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). The human large intestine is inhabited by very large numbers of microorganisms. The resident micro flora through their metabolic activities exerts important physiological action relevant to health and disease. This and other possibly beneficial effects to other target organs have led to an intensive study of probiotics and prebiotics.