Say Hello to the 100 Trillion Bacteria That Make Up Your Microbiome. Innate immune system. The innate immune system, also known as the nonspecific immune system and the first line of defense,[1] is an important subsystem of the overall immune system that comprises the cells and mechanisms that defend the host from infection by other organisms. The cells of the innate system recognize and respond to pathogens in a generic way, but, unlike the adaptive immune system (which is found only in vertebrates), it does not confer long-lasting or protective immunity to the host.[2] Innate immune systems provide immediate defense against infection, and are found in all classes of plant and animal life. They include both humoral immunity components and cell-mediated immunity components. The innate immune system is an evolutionarily older defense strategy, and is the dominant immune system found in plants, fungi, insects, and primitive multicellular organisms.[3] The major functions of the vertebrate innate immune system include: Anatomical barriers[edit] Inflammation[edit] Mast cells[edit]
Skin flora. Depiction of the human body and bacteria that predominate A major nonhuman skin flora is Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, a chytrid and non-hyphal zoosporic fungus that causes chytridiomycosis, an infectious disease thought to be responsible for the decline in amphibian populations. Species variety[edit] Bacteria[edit] The estimate of the number of species present on skin bacteria has been radically changed by the use of 16S ribosomal RNA to identify bacterial species present on skin samples direct from their genetic material. Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus were thought from cultural based research to be dominant. Ecology of the 20 sites on the skin studied in the Human Microbiome Project There are three main ecological areas: sebaceous, moist, and dry. Fungal[edit] A study of the area between toes in 100 young adults found 14 different genera of fungi. Umbilical microbiome[edit] Relationship to host[edit] Another aspect of bacteria is the generation of body odor.
Hologenome theory of evolution. The hologenome theory of evolution proposes that the object of natural selection is not the individual organism, but the holobiont, i.e. the organism together with its associated microbial communities. Precursor: coral probiotic hypothesis[edit] Unbleached and bleached coral The hologenome theory of evolution originated in studies on coral reefs.
Coral reefs are the largest structures created by living organisms, and contain abundant and highly complex microbial communities. A coral "head" is a colony of genetically identical polyps, which secrete an exoskeleton near the base. Depending on the species, the exoskeleton may be hard, based on calcium carbonate, or soft and proteinaceous.
Over many generations, the colony creates a large skeleton that is characteristic of the species. Over the past several decades, major declines in coral populations have occurred. Coral bleaching is the most serious of these diseases. Hologenome theory[edit] Definition[edit] Additional case studies[edit] Human microbiome. A diagram of the microbiome of the skin Bacteria[edit] Populations of microbes (such as bacteria and yeasts) inhabit the skin and mucosa. Their role forms part of normal, healthy human physiology, however if microbe numbers grow beyond their typical ranges (often due to a compromised immune system) or if microbes populate atypical areas of the body (such as through poor hygiene or injury), disease can result. In 2012, some 200 researchers from some 80 research institutions comprising the Human Microbiome Project (HMP) Consortium have used advanced DNA-sequencing to identify and catalogue the thousands of microorganisms co-existing with humans.
This study examined, amongst other things, the carbohydrate active enzymes from microbial populations from twelve sites on and in the human body, and concluded that microbes colonise each site to utilise the available sugars. Escherichia coli (a.k.a. The vaginal microflora consist mostly of various lactobacillus species. Archaea[edit] Gut flora[edit] Microbiome. Depiction of the human body and bacteria that predominate A microbiome is "the ecological community of commensal, symbiotic, and pathogenic microorganisms that literally share our body space. "[1][2] This term was originally coined by Joshua Lederberg, who argued the importance of microorganisms inhabiting the human body in health and disease.
Many scientific articles distinguish "microbiome" and "microbiota" to describe either the collective genomes of the microorganisms that reside in an environmental niche or the microorganisms themselves, respectively.[3][4][5] However by the original definitions these terms are largely synonymous. The human body contains over 10 times more microbial cells than human cells, although the entire microbiome only weighs about 200 grams (7.1 oz),[6][7] with some weight estimates ranging as high as 3 pounds (approximately 48 ounces or 1,400 grams). Introduction[edit] Case studies[edit] Studies in humans[edit] Animal studies[edit] Plant studies[edit] Autism[edit] Surfaces that use "hacked" bacteria to detect dirt or clean themselves. Buildings in the future could feature floors embedded with synthetic bacteria that eat dirt and clean your feet, according to this project by design student Tashia Tucker (+ slideshow).
Called Synthetic Biology: The Future of Adaptive Living Environments, the project explores how synthetic biology could be used in architecture to create smart surfaces impregnated with bacteria. "I think within the next 10 years we will start to see these biologically designed surfaces being developed in labs, and within the next 15-20 years being available to the public," Tucker told Dezeen. Tucker simulated ways that bacteria might perform tasks such as cleaning, changing the properties of surfaces according the users' needs or alerting humans to the presence of toxic substances for the project, which she developed during a course at the Design Futures Lab at Drexel University in Philadelphia.
Here's a short project description: Synthetic Biology: The Future of Adaptive Living Environments. Surfaces that use "hacked" bacteria to detect dirt or clean themselves. Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride on GAPS Nutritional Program. The gut flora: You and your 100 trillion friends: Jeroen Raes at TEDxBrussels.