Chapter 23, Problem 1RQ

Summary Introduction

To review:

The sterile body sites.

Introduction:

Human body is comprised of various kinds of cells, tissues and organ systems that coexist with a large number of microorganisms that are most beneficial to the host. This population is called microbiome and is composed of many species of microbes from different families that co-inhabit key regions of the body. Sterile means being free from microbes or any other kind of contamination.

Explanation of Solution

The human body is made up of many organs including the skin, the mouth, the stomach, the gut, and the genitourinary tract. These organs are colonized by various naturally occurring Gram-positive and Gram-negative microbes or bacteria. The naturally residing microbes help that particular organ in various ways. They also prevent the colonization of pathogenic bacteria and help the organ in neutralizing the pathogenic effects caused by foreign bacteria.

There are various regions in the human body where no naturally residing microbial population is found. Such areas include the eyes, lungs, pericardial fluid, cerebrospinal fluid, bone marrow, and bladder. The immune cells that are the part of blood are designated with the task of eliminating the foreign microbes from the body.