7- Commensal & Pathogenic Microbial Flora Flashcards
Define “normal flora”
a. Normal flora is the population of microbes that reside on, or within, the human body on an everyday basis. They participate in the metabolism of food products, provide essential growth factors, protects against infections with highly virulent microorganisms and stimulates the immune response. However, they can be opportunistic infections in time of lower immune system.
Define “resident flora”
a. The microoganisms that occupy a specific body part are termed resident flora. There are different flora that reside within the oropharynx, ear, eye, esophagus, stomach, intestines, vagina, rectum, cervix, etc.
Define “transient flora”
a. Transient floras are microorganisms that don’t permanently live in the body. They find the body hospitable for growth and do not cause harm or infections. They’re just “passing through.”
Define “opportunistic pathogens”
a. Opportunistic infections occur when the normal bacterial flora of the body (which normally don’t cause infections) cause disease in times of lowered immune response or entry into an unprotected site (blood, tissues).
Define “nosocomial pathogens”
a. Nosocomial pathogens are microoganisms that reside in hospitals.
Define “strict pathogens”
a. A strict pathogen is an organism which always causes human disease. These are from bacteria like mycobacterium tuberculosis causing TB or neisseria gonorrhoeae causing gonnorhea. These are NOT normal flora.
Define “disease”
a. Disease occurs when the interaction between microbe and human leads to a pathologic process characterized by damage to the human host. This is different than the word infection. Infection is just the colonization of humans, by microbes, for a short period, and doesn’t interfere with normal body functions.
What parts of your body are considered sterile?
a. Basically, any part of the body that does not have a connection to the outside environment is sterile. Everything except the GI lumen, urinary and reproductive tracts, skin and all the outer surfaces are sterile.
