Reference
American Society for Microbiology. (2008, June 5). Humans have ten times more bacteria than human cells: How do microbial communities affect human health? Science Daily. Retrieved April 19, 2011, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080603085914.htm
Summary
This article discusses the microbial community in the human body and how they inhabit in large numbers in our bodies; if these numbers are changed, many diseases may be influenced as a result of this. Many research studies were done in order to figure out what the benefit of bacteria in our bodies is and why the change in the numbers of them may cause some disorders. The molecular technology helps us to know the features of the useful or good types of microbes within the body, and they are named as micro biomes. Martin Blaser of New York University has sought to recognize and name the exact character of the bacteria and viruses which endemic people skin and help to create a barrier for protecting from external environment. This happened by modern a DNA technique. At first, the researchers found 6 types of bacteria which live in the human skin, then they discovered that the number of the microorganisms on the skin may reach 500 types; 10 types of them are prevalent while others are founded in small numbers and in one host. Blaser said‟ It is entirely possible that everyone could have a unique bacterial signature much in the same way everyone has a unique DNA signature or a unique fingerprint″. The author referred to the existence of a difference in the types of microbes that live on the skin of healthy people and people with skin diseases such as psoriasis. Another study is done by Daniel Frank of the University of Colorado, Boulder, and his colleagues. They are interested in investigating how some bacterial species cause intestinal diseases such as ulcerative colitis. The researchers figured out that there is a rapid change in the types of bacteria in the gut of healthy people and others who are suffering from intestine problems. In addition, Ruth Ley of Washington University in St. Louis with her team referred to the role of the microbes in fatness. They found that people might be obese when the micro biome in the gut is changed. Some researchers emphasize the importance of understanding human health, and many research studies are done in order to figure out the correlation between the change in human micro biome and some particular disorders.
Reaction
My major is Microbiology, so I was very amused in reading this article, which gave me extra information of the relationship between the changes in a human micro biome and occurrence of some diseases. Many people believe that the bacteria are dangerous to human health and the integrity of the body, but they do not know that there are some types of bacteria in the body that are useful to the health. They may not know that the human body contains many bacteria and microbes, and some of these may be large in number than the number of cells in the human body. This article gave me the idea that the name of the population of microorganisms which live in many parts of the human body is micro biome, while many books and articles named them micro flora or normal flora because the live normally in many areas in the human body without causing any damage to the human health. I already knew that many species of bacteria play a role in protecting the body from certain diseases, and any change in the number of microbial cells can cause health problems such as Crohn’s disease and obesity; however, there is a symbiotic relationship between our bodies and the bacteria which live in it, so they act as useful to us at the same time we serve the interests of them. We can say that there are common interests between our bodies and the bacteria in the natural conditions. There is a kind of balance, but the equation is disrupted when this balance is upset in a favor of one of the parties. The bacteria serve mankind as long as the specific growth rate should not exceed the rate of balance. Microorganisms may become pathogens if they exceed the natural rate, and they will not play a role that is required to serve the body as a whole if they decreased. Finally, I dream to see the day when the people are aware of the truth about their bodies and the possible microbes in each part of it; they should know that the microbes colonize the human body during birth or shortly thereafter and remain lifelong, and not all types of microbes are harmful.
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