Faculty of Pharmacy

Assignment topic : Human Microbiota

Course code : PM211

Course title : Basic Microbiology and Microbial Genetics

Group : A1

Submitted to :

Prepared by : Nadeen Ayman Hamdallah ID : 182555

Due date : 1/11/2018

What is human microbiota?

The human microbiota is made up of 10-100 trillion symbiotic microbial cells found
inside each person. The human microbiota carries approximately 150 times genes
more than are found in the entire human genome. Human microbiota is also
considered to be a basic organ, particularly the gut microbiota. Modern technologies
have found that the microbiota of the gut is connected to some essential human
biological processes such as: regulating epithelial improvement, modulating the
metabolic phenotype and affecting the innate immunity. Human microbiota is also
linked to some chronic diseases like obesity, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes
mellitus, metabolic syndrome, atherosclerosis, alcoholic liver disease, nonalcoholic
fatty liver disease, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular.

The microbiome is considered to be the collective genomes of the microbes and made
out of (bacteria, bacteriophage, fungi, protozoa and viruses) which live inside and on
the human body. a Microbiome protects us against germs, breaks down food to
release energy, and produces vitamins.

Where is the human microbiota found on the body?

There are various types of microbes which are adapted to live on every available
surface and in every enclosed space of the human body. However, the structure of the
microbiota differs from one anatomic site to another due to differences in the physical
and chemical environments. The available surface includes the outside of the human
body such as: skin, nails and hair, and even to the nose’s mucus membranes, the
respiratory passages, urinary tract and the genitals. Along the digestive tract several
microbial communities could be found, these microbes are so adapted to the various
surfaces of the mouth, the lining of the: esophagus, stomach and center of the small
and large intestines and that’s due to the presence of both a large mucosal area on the
inner surface of the large intestine and a mass of a slowly moving material in the
middle and that’s all gives the microbes enough resources to grow. About 90% of the
human’s body microbiota is consists of the microbiota of colon microbiota. The
interior surfaces of the body, like the blood, muscles, bones, brain, liver aren’t
considered to have a native microbiota, however live microbes might be found there.
There are always some breaks in skin or mucus membranes where microbes might
penetrate, although generally such invaders will quickly be engulfed and then killed
by white blood cells.

Role of microbiota in health and disease

 The human microbiota in health:

Human microbiota affects human physiology to a great extent. Trillions of microbes

colonize the human body, including bacteria, archaea, viruses, and eukaryotic
microbes. The body contains at least 1000 different species of known bacteria and
carries 150 times more microbial genes than are found in the entire human
genome .Microbiotic composition and function differ according to different locations,
ages, sexes, races, and diets of the host .
Commensal bacteria colonize the host shortly after birth. This simple community
gradually develops into a highly diverse ecosystem during host growth . Over time,
host-bacterial associations have developed into beneficial
relationships. Symbioticbacteria metabolize indigestible compounds, supply essential
nutrients, defend against colonization by opportunistic pathogens, and contribute to
the formation of intestinal architecture . For example, the intestinal microbiota is
involved in the digestion of certain foods that cannot be digested by the stomach and
small intestine, and plays a key role in maintaining energy homeostasis. These foods
are primarily dietary fibers such as xyloglucans, which are commonly found in
vegetables and can be digested by a specific species of Bacteroides. Other non-
digestible fibers, such as fructooligosaccharides and oligosaccharides, can be utilized
by beneficial microbes, such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. Studies have
clarified the role of the gut microbiota in lipid and protein homeostasis as well as in
the microbial synthesis of essential nutrient vitamins . The normal gut microbiome
produces 50–100 mmol·L−1 per day of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), such as
acetic, propionic, and butyric acids, and serves as an energy source to the host
intestinal epithelium. These SCFAs can be quickly absorbed in the colon and serve
many diverse roles in regulating gut motility, inflammation, glucose homeostasis, and
energy harvesting . Furthermore, the gut microbiota has been shown to deliver
vitamins to the host, such as folates, vitamin K, biotin, riboflavin (B2), cobalamin
(B12), and possibly other B vitamins. A previous study demonstrated that B12 can be
produced from delta-aminolevulinate (ALA) as a precursor .
In addition, gut-colonizing bacteria stimulate the normal development of the humoral
and cellular mucosal immune systems . The signals and metabolites of
microorganisms can be sensed by the hematopoietic and non-hematopoietic cells of
the innate immune system and translated into physiological responses . Studies
comparing normal mice with GF mice have found that GF mice show extensive
defects in the development of gut-associated lymphoid tissue
and antibody production . A report has also demonstrated that the gut microbiota
generates a tolerogenic response that acts on gut dendritic cells and inhibits the
type 17 T-helper cell (Th17) anti-inflammatory pathway . However, not all microbiota
lead to health benefits. Some induce inflammation under certain conditions.
The human microbiota in disease:

The human microbiota and infectious diseases

Infection is one of the most common diseases caused by dysbiosis of the microbiota.
Importantly, infectious disease and its treatment have a profound impact on the
human microbiota, which in turn determines the outcome of the infectious disease in
the human host. Offending pathogens colonize the intestinal mucosa, thus resulting in
the induction of a strong inflammatory response, followed by the translocation of the
intestinal bacteria . Numerous studies have demonstrated the intimate relationship
between infection and dysbiosis of the microbiota, and have shown that infection is
associated not only with the microbiome, but also with viruses . For example, the
intestinal microbiota of patients with Clostridium difficile(C. difficile) infection (CDI)
is significantly altered . Disturbance of the microbiota is also associated with the
progression of human immunodeficiency virus(HIV) , hepatitis B virus (HBV) , and
other diseases.
How to improve your lifestyle to maintain healthy microbiota?
1- Exercise
Mentore says exercise also improves the microbiome through recovery
because exercise is a form of stress that breaks down the body and stresses the
systems.

2- Sleep
 Not getting enough sleep can adversely impact your gut microbiome sooner
than you might think. And there’s further research that lack of sleep increases
cravings for junk food such as refined carbohydrates and sugar. Refined
carbohydrates are known to feed harmful bacteria, which could by itself
indirectly lead to poorer gut health.

3- Stress
Stress significantly disrupts the homeostasis (balance) of our microbiomes,
according to an Oregon State University study.
4- Medication
A study of American Indians who had never been exposed to antibiotics
showed that they had the highest microbiome diversity ever exhibited by any
human group.

5- Environment
Studiesshow that chronic low-dose exposure to pesticides leads to dysbiosis: a
microbial imbalance or maladaptation on or inside the body, such as an
impaired microbiota.