chapter 24 - microbial symbioses with humans Flashcards
What is a microbiome?
a functional collection of different microbes in a particular environmental system
What is a microbiota?
describes all microbe in a microhabitat
What are the heavily colonized body regions for microbes?
- gastrointestinal tract
- oral cavity and airways
- urogenital tracts
- skin
What is the role of the microbes in the gut and what do they affect?
- digestion of food
- absorption and production of nutrients
they affect early development, health and predisposition to disease
How does the colon hold microbiota?
an in vivo fermentation vessel, they use nutrients derived from the digestion of food to survive.
How does the large intestine hold microbiota?
restricted to the lumen of the large intestine, others go in the mucosal layer
What is the bacterial diversity in the large intestine and colon
composed of a few phyla
mostly bacteroidetes and firmicutes
What are the 3 different types of enterotypes that everyone has?
- enriched in bacteroides
- is in prevotella
- is enriched in ruminococcus
What are different outcomes from microbial metabolites and transformations?
- vitamin production
- modification of steroids
- amino acid biosynthesis
Where are the microbiota located in oral cavity?
- saliva contains antimicrobial enzymes
- high concentrations of nutrients near surfaces in the mouth promote localized microbial growth
Where are microbiota located in the airway?
- bacteria enters upper respiratory tract from the air during breathing
- most are trapped in the mucus and then expelled by swallowing or sneezing
- lower respiratory tract has no normal microbiota in healthy adults
What moves cells up and out of the lungs?
ciliated mucosal cells
Where are the microbiota located in the urogenital tracts?
- kidney and bladder are sterile
- epithelial cells of urethra are colonized by facultative aerobes
- altered conditions causes infections (like uti)
What are the three different kinds of microenvironment when it comes to skin?
- dry skin
- moist skin
- sebaceous skin
How many microbiota are found on the skin?
10 to the 10 skin microorganisms covering the average adult.