Human Microbiota

These flashcards cover key concepts related to the human microbiota, its classification, potential pathogenic roles, and techniques for studying it.

What is the difference between microbiota and microbiome?

Microbiota refers to the community of microorganisms living in one environment, while microbiome refers to all of the genes of these microbes.

How many microbes do humans harbor?

Humans harbor over 100 trillion microbes, which outnumber human cells 10 to 1.

What are endogenous microorganisms?

Endogenous microorganisms are those that are found naturally in a given environment and form part of the normal microbiota.

Give an example of an endogenous microorganism that can cause infection.

Staphylococcus aureus can cause wound infections when introduced to the wrong site.

What are exogenous microorganisms?

Exogenous microorganisms are found in the actual environment, such as bacteria present in home or healthcare settings.

What are commensal microorganisms?

Commensal microorganisms are part of the normal microbiota, are typically not associated with infectious disease, and are often beneficial to the host.

What distinguishes pathogenic microorganisms from commensal microorganisms?

Pathogenic microorganisms are not part of normal flora and can cause symptoms of infection in any host.

What are opportunistic pathogens?

Opportunistic pathogens are usually part of the normal microbiota and only cause infections under the right conditions, such as a weakened immune system.

How is the human microbiota acquired?

The human microbiota is acquired at birth and is influenced by factors such as mode of delivery and environmental exposure.

Where is the human microbiota located in the body?

The human microbiota is found in areas like the scalp, mouth, skin, armpits, groin, and gastrointestinal tract but not in sterile areas like the lungs and brain.

What is the significance of studying the human microbiota?

Studying the human microbiota is important for understanding its influence on health, susceptibility to infectious diseases, and chronic illnesses.

What was the Human Microbiome Project?

The Human Microbiome Project began in 2008 and aimed to understand the microbial community in humans, reporting 3.3 million unique protein-encoding genes.

How can microbiota be studied?

Microbiota can be studied using various techniques such as selective plating, 16s rRNA sequencing, and metagenomics.