Contrary to the general believe or knowledge about microorganisms, there are quite a number of benefits human beings derive from microorganisms of which without, this life wouldn’t have worth living.
In this article, I will explore some of the benefits we derive from microbes living on our body surface.
Many people think of microorganisms as ‘germs’ that should routinely be avoided, failing to recognize that the microbial cell on the body actually outnumber human cells. Nearly all these microorganisms co-exist peacefully with the human body, often providing beneficial aspect.
The organisms that routinely reside on the body surfaces are called ‘’Normal Flora’’. It is a delicate balancing act, however, normal floral as well as microbes that make incidental contact with humans are quite able to exploit body fluids and tissues and a source of nutrients should the opportunity arise. Pathogens have developed the ability to make the products such as the toxins or molecules to subvert defence system causing a disruption in the delicate balance. Weaknesses or defects in the innate or adaptive defenses can make people vulnerable to invasion even by their own normal flora; the individual is said to be immunologically compromised or immune-compromised. Factors that can make individual becoming immune-compromised includes mal-nutrition, cancer, AIDS or other diseases, surgery, wounds, genetic defects, alcohol or drugs abuse, and immune-suppressed therapy that accompanies procedures such as organ transplant.
THE PROTECTIVE ROLES OF the NORMAL FLORA The most significant contribution of the normal flora in the overall health of the human host includes protection against harmful microorganisms, and stimulation of the immune system. It will interest you to know when members of normal flora are killed or their growth suppressed as can happen during treatment of host with antibiotic harmful organisms may colonize and cause disease, for example oral administration of antibiotics can suppress normal flora allowing the overgrowth of toxin producing strain of clostridium difficile, causing the disease antibiotic-associated colitis.
The presence and multiplication of normal flora competitively excludes the pathogens by several mechanisms. These includes covering binding sites that might otherwise be used for attachment consuming available nutrient, and producing compounds that are toxic to other bacteria. The normal flora also plays an important role in priming the adaptive immune system. The response mounted against members of the normal flora which routinely breach the body’s anatomical barrier in small number may cross-reach pathogens that could be encountered later.
