Describe in detail the positive and negative aspects of having a characteristic
ID: 179002 • Letter: D
Question
Describe in detail the positive and negative aspects of having a characteristic "normal flora" associated with various parts of the human body. Which parts of the body usually have resident normal flora, and what kinds are usually found in each one? What is an opportunistic pathogen? List 4 major types of virulence factors associated with bacteria, and briefly describe how each one facilitates pathogenesis. How do pathogens generally differ from normal flora? Where do the genes for virulence factors usually come from? What are "pathogenicity islands"? Describe the various types of information that epidemiologists use to detect interrupt and prevent epidemics. List the possible mechanisms of transmission and reservoirs of infection. What is herd immunity? How does it work? What evidence do we have for it? What measures are currently taken in the US to maintain it for certain diseases? What is vaccine? How are vaccines made?Explanation / Answer
Normal flora are microorganism which are found in or on our bodies on a semi-permanent basis without causing disease. They are colonize the human body during birth or shortly thereafter, remaining throughout life, are referred to as normal flora
Normal flora can be found in many sites of the human body including the skin especially the moist areas, such as the groin and between the toes, respiratory tract particularly the nose, urinary tract, and the digestive tract primarily the mouth and the colon.
Propionibacterium acnes is a Gram positive bacterium that inhabits the skin. P. acnes are anaerobes, so they lives in pores and glands. The human nose is home to the infamous Gram positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, In the mouth estimated that 500-600 different kinds of bacteria thrive on mucus and food remnants in the mouth. A predominant member of this community is the Gram positive bacterium Streptococcus mutans. In the stomach there is the Gram negative bacterium called Helicobacter pylori
Whether a human-microbe relationship is positive or negative depends on many factors. The human body provides a niche and nutrition for the colonizing microbe and the microbe occupies a space that a potential parasite or pathogen might otherwise colonize. In these cases microbial communities may even aid in digestion or synthesize nutrients for the human. In certain situations good-standing members of your normal flora can cause disease or invading pathogens can displace them. The result will be disease. Bacteria perform physiological, nutritional and protective functions in the human body. Maintaining a balance is crucial. Normal flora consists of communities of bacteria that function as microbial ecosystems.
An organism that exists harmlessly as part of the normal human body environment and does not become a health threat until the body's immune system fails. An opportunistic infection is an infection caused by pathogens that take advantage of an opportunity not normally available, such as a host with a weakened immune system, an altered microbiota,