This journal article was over how our bodies protect us from the internal and external environments. The host has three main “fences” that help with that protection, the skin, the gastrointestinal tract, and the respiratory tract. We are really interesting subjects, the internal and external surfaces of our bodies are constantly being introduced to new bacteria, microbes, and pathogens and yet we do not get sick. The barriers or fences protect us and are crucial for our immune response. There is still much not understood about the immune system but we do know with certainty that when a child is born he or she acquires around two thousand different species of bacteria that really help to get the child immune system started and running. The researchers also know that there is four dominate groups of bacteria phyla’s in the “intestinal niche”, Firmicutes, bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, and proteobacteria. We are able to have our normal bacteria’s in and on us because our immune system has learned to co-exist with its symbiotic species. As one may wonder or even certainly expect, competition does occur between the host symbiotic organisms and potentially harmful bacterial cells. They compete mainly for nutrients but also for space, some microbes even engage in “chemical warfare” and possibly even killing its rivalry. Inflammatory disorders can possibly arise from the internal and superficial wars going on, that is why the immune system is constantly being monitored for comprises
Imagine the bacteria as robbers trying to invade a house, the body in this analogy. The immune system is the police officers in charge of the house, and the meninges are the alarms around the point of the house that the robbers want to come in through. The robbers trick the police officers into helping them rob the house. The robbers used the police officers, originally intended to do good.
Analysts have been concentrating among the dynamic parts of supportive microorganisms inside the human body, and they found out that: “In fact, most of the cells in the human body are not human at all. Bacteria cells in the human body outnumber human cells 10 to one.” (Jennifer Ackerman, 2012, p. 38) Ackerman also expresses that
Before, biologists assumed all microbes are bad for the human body (automatically thought of pathogens), caused many diseases and harm our body fundamental systems. In addition, the biologists think that our body is already built which had all the functions required to maintain our health. However, the attitude has changed over the last decade. The biologists characterized the most prevalent species of microbes in the body, and found out that these collective microbes do not threaten us, and they also are important part of human bodies.
Since our early childhood we have always kept that inner voice in the back of our minds telling us not to touch certain things or to follow certain rules so we don’t become infected with germs or become ill. Our mothers and fathers kept a watchful eye on us as children and especially as toddlers because of our very curious minds and our driven power to explore. We continue to set the same rules for our younger siblings and will probably act the same as our parents did when we were young to our offspring. Well one individual named Jack Gilbert a father of two that studies microbial ecosystems at the University of Chicago decided to put these assumptions to the test.
Three of the body’s physical and chemical barriers against infection are the skin, the respiratory tract and the immune system. The skin prevents microorganisms from entering the body. The respiratory tract is lined with mucous membranes and cells that sweep out foreign matter, while other particles may be eliminated through a cough. The immune system defends against infection through cells that distinguish foreign cells from the bodies own cells. The immune system is able to eliminate microorganisms from the body.
The article “Some of My Best Friends are Germs,” by Michael Pollen was a very interesting and informative read. Pollen explains that our bodies house 100s of trillions of microbes. More than 99 percent of our genetic information is microbial. The large number of bacteria that inhabits us weighs many pounds, forming a massive, unexplored world that scientists are just starting to document. These bacteria affect our health as much as if not more than the genes we receive from our parents.
The human microbiome has received more attention in the last few years as scientists have begun to link health and mental wellbeing with these internal synergists. Murray and Manary (2015) define a microbiome as an “ecological community of commensal, symbiotic, and pathogenic microorganisms living inside the body…100 trillion organisms, including anaerobic bacteria, archaea, yeast and parasites.” Humans are born and immediately exposed to these microbes, creating their own microbiome within hours. The natural birth baby inherits microbes of the mother and caesarian section babies receive microbiota of those who handle them first (Ley, 2006). Genes, and the environment from which they are born into, shape their future microbiome (Ley, Peterson,
There are trillions of microorganisms living within us, greatly outnumbering our cells and genes. They are found in our skin, hair, membranes, mucous membranes and gastrointestinal tracts. Collectively these microorganisms are called our microbiota. Every individual has a unique microbiota, kind of like a fingerprint, but usually share similar metabolic functions. A vast majority of these are harmless and even beneficial to us, these are referred to as commensals. There are many bacterial commensals, that have co-evolved with us for centuries, making it possible for our bodies to properly function. Commensals benefit us by synthesizing vitamins and minerals, digest foods we alone cannot, regulate immunity, detox the body, protect against infections, and reduce inflammation. While there
This mechanism of defense is called colonization resistance (Sekirov et al. 2010). Resident microbiota and incoming pathogens compete for resources in the intestine. In a healthy intestine, normal microflora establishes mutually beneficial relations with intestinal mucosa and effectively eliminates pathogens. Inflammatory host responses triggered by virulence factors of S. Typhimurium can alter conditions in the intestine and shift the competition between protective microbiota and the incoming pathogen, which is able to survive in and profit from the altered niche (Stecher et al. 2007), whereas to intestinal microbiota host responses are unfavorable (Sekirov et al.
Even so, our body has a remarkable ability to protect itself against microbial invasions. Within the human body resides a salient protection mechanism called immune system prepared to defend the body against millions of bacteria, viruses, toxins and parasites. However, how does the immune system enable the body to accept a vast amount of
Recent studies conducted with mice have shown that microbes in he stomach keep the immune system in check. If no microbes are detected, the immune system is weakened, increasing the risk of ailments. Rather than run from germs, society should embrace germs, as they are critical in the sustainability of our immune system.
The typical human has 100 trillion microorganisms living in his or her gut. Recent studies have shown that these microbes, primarily bacteria, play a vital role in promoting and protecting overall health. They can help your body stave off infections, expedite natural toxin removal processes and facilitate the breakdown of complex carbohydrates.
In fact, we've research that the human being gut, the most significant organ in the torso, may be looked at as a 'symbio-organ', where symbiosis with microbes is a crucial aspect in its working. The symbio-organ gut functions to break down food, provide unique vitamin supplements nutrition, detoxify phytochemicals, suppress pathogen virulence, modulate the stressed system, and similarly important is its function to perfect the disease fighting capability with continuous contact with potential pathogens, keeping the disease fighting capability centered on microbes as opposed to the body itself. The real human gut symbio-organ is truly a complex body organ with multiple functions that impact your body in many ways-and
During exercise, the body goes through several changes. In order to maintain homeostasis when exercising, many mechanisms work together to ensure that the internal environment of the human body maintains a stable condition and is not altered too much. As one is exercising and putting their body through “stress,” the heart rate increases in order to provide oxygenated blood to the muscles, and also to increase the removal of CO2 out of the blood.
The following essay will provides an overview of the key elements of the skin’s structure and functions to provide an in-depth understanding on the skins biology and how to apply this knowledge to the beauty industry.