Introduction
To understand the human gut health and aetiology, the first step is to understand the gastrointestinal (GI) microflora and its distribution through the digestive system [2]. The human GI tract is inhabited by trillions of microorganisms, which together is known as the microbiota [5]. These microorganisms come from both archeal and bacterial domains. Bacteria are the predominant kingdom of organisms and it is composed mainly by five bacterial phyla: Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria and Verrucomicrobia [3]. The great majority of mammalian gut microbiota belongs to the three phyla: the Gram-negative anaerobe Bacteroidetes, the Gram-positive Actinobacteria and Firmicutes [5].
Firmicutes comprises of over 200 genera, including Lactobacillus, Clostridium, Bacillus, and Mycoplasma [5]. The gram-negative Bacteroidetes includes Bacteroides, Prevotella and Xylanibacter, that can degrade a variety of complex glycans [3]. The composition of the microbiota is different in each individual, even if there is a core gut microbiota that is shared among individuals; this is due to different life circumstances such as the food eaten throughout life, the medicine intake, and the geographic situations of the individual etc. [3].
When still inside the uterus a fetus has a sterile GI tract. Certain microbes colonize particular intestinal habitats at various times after the birth, this is characteristic of that particular habitat and animal host [10]. The contamination by the heterogeneous collection of microbes occurs under the birth. After a few days the colonizing of the GI tract is mainly represented by lactic acid bacteria and coliforms. It is during the weaning that the composition is distinctly altered, and...
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The specific protein export pathways and the general secretory pathway (GSP) are the two central forms of secretion pathways. GSP is an ATP dependent system, where the proteins are synthesized as preproteins, with the presence of a signal peptide in the N-terminal part of the amino acid sequence [26].
Nuclease is one of the acknowledged proteins secreted by members of the genus Lactobacillus. After several evidences of extracellular DNAse activity, nucleases from several Lactobacillus species have been identified by two methods; sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, coupled to in-gel protein renaturalization and nuclease assay [28]. It has been shown that nuclease activity over the DNA present in the luminal content, can lead to the formation of a set of diverse oligonucleotides, some of them with immunomodulatory properties [29, 30, 31].
The helicobacter pylori bacterium also commonly known as H. pylori is a spiral shaped bacterium that is often found growing in the digestive tract. H. pylori bacteria are found in more than half of the world’s population. The bacteria normally attack the lining of the stomach and the small intestines. Although they are present in many people the H. pylori bacteria is usually harmless. The bacteria are adapted to live and survive in the acidic environment of the digestive tract. Furthermore, H. pylori reduces the acidity of the environment around it to survive and will penetrate the lining of the stomach and small intestines where the mucus lining protects it from the body’s immune cells. H. pylori sometimes can interfere with the body’s immune response to ensure their survival and this causes stomach problems (Flemin & Alcamo, 2007).
The expression of lac operon in each tube equals the amount of beta-galactosidase produced. Therefore, by looking at the amount of beta-galactosidase under different conditions collectively is a good way to understand the function of inducers and repressors in supervising the expression of lac operon and the control of gene expression generally.
Although harmless to most adults, pregnant women may experience health problems associated with these bacteria, which can cause:
The purpose of this experiment was to discover the specificity of the enzyme lactase to a spec...
Bacteria play a large role in our health, the environment, and most aspects of life. They can be used in beneficial ways, such as decomposing wastes, enhancing fertilizer for crops, and breaking down of substances that our bodies cannot. However, many bacteria can also be very harmful by causing disease. Understanding how to identify bacteria has numerous applications and is incredibly important for anyone planning to enter the medical field or begin a career in research. Having the background knowledge of identifying an unknown bacteria may one day aid healthcare professionals diagnose their patient with a particular bacterial infection or help researchers determine various clinical, agricultural, and numerous other uses for bacteria.
E. coli are bacteria that can cause an infection in various parts of your body, including your intestines. E. coli bacteria normally live in the intestines of people and animals. Most types of E. coli do not cause infections, but some produce a poison (toxin) that can cause diarrhea. Depending on the toxin, this can cause mild or severe diarrhea.
Tuberculosis or TB is an airborn infection caused by inhaled droplets that contain mycobacterium tuberculosis. When infected, the body will initiate a cell-mediated hypersensitivity response which leads to formation of lesion or cavity and positive reaction to tuberculin skin test (Kaufman, 2011). People who have been infected with mycobacteria will have a positive skin test, but only ones who have active TB will show signs and symtoms. Basic signs and symptoms include low grade fever, cough with hemoptysis, and tachypnea. They may also show pleuristic chest pain, dyspnea, progressive weight loss, fatigue and malaise (Porth, 2011).
Every human has microbiomes that are personalized for the individual and are extremely important to maintaining a good health standing, however, these microbiomes can be capable of contracting a disease. One of the most common areas for these microbiomes to contract something that could be harmful to the person’s health is called the oral microbiomes, which are found in the mouths of humans. Within the biofilms of the oral cavity, rests these oral microbiomes that maintain a healthy equilibrium in the mouth. However, if not taken care of properly, oral microbiomes can be taken over by a pathogen that can quickly turn the state of the person’s mouth from a healthy equilibrium to a very unhealthy equilibrium (1). Some bacteria found in the oral cavity can be an extremely danger.
Enterococcus faecalis species is known to be the most common of Enterococci. Enterococcus faecalis is a gram positive bacteria. It is Non-Acid Fast. There are no endospores, but capsules are present. Enterococcus faecalis or Enterococci live within our GI tract, they also can be found in the mouth and vagina. They normally live inside our intestines without problems, the problem occurs when Enterococcus faecalis leaves our intestines, it can create an infection in the blood, urine, or in wounds. E. faecalis can cause a problem in people with a lowered immune system because they are more infection prone for example cancer patients, people on dialysis, people who have HIV or AIDS, transplant patients, etc. Interesting note about E. faecalis is
Among hospitalized patients around the world, Clostridium difficile is the primary source of infectious diarrhea. Previously, continuously unbalanced intestinal microbiota, usually due to antimicrobials, was deemed a precondition of developing the infection. However, recently, there have been alterations in the biology from virtually infecting the elderly population exclusively, wherein the microbiota in their guts have been interrupted by antimicrobials, to currently infecting individuals within of all age groups displaying no recent antimicrobial use. Furthermore, recent reports have confirmed critical occurrences among groups previously assumed to be of minimal risk—pregnant women, children, and individuals with no previous exposure to antimicrobials, for instance. Unfortunately, this Gram-positive, toxin-producing anaerobic bacterium is estimated to cost US critical care facilities $800 million per year at present, suggesting the need for effective measures to eliminate this nosocomial infection (Yakob, Riley, Paterson, & Clements, 2013).
Enterococcus faecalis is a genus of gram positive cocci and form short chains or are arranged in pairs. They are nonmotile, facultative anaerobic organisms and can survive in harsh conditions in nature. There are over 15 species of the Enterococcus genus but about 90% of clinical isolates are E. faecalis. E. faecalis is a nosocomial pathogen because it is commonly found in the hospital environment and can cause life-threatening infections in humans. It is a bacterium that normally inhabits the intestinal tract in humans and animals but when found in other body locations it can cause serious infections. The most common sites for E. faecalis infections are the heart, bloodstream, urinary tract, and skin wounds. Due to vancomycin-resistant Enterococci, many antibiotics have been shown ineffective in the treatment. In this paper, I will describe the ecology and pathology of E. faecalis; the antibacterial resistance; treatment; and, what you can do to prevent Enterococcus infection.
The hindgut is not only a fermentation vat, but it also stimulates the immune responses, protects against pathogens, production and neutralization of toxins, and gene expression in host epithelial tissues [6]. The cecal microbiome is extremely sensitive and can be affected by factors like gastrointestinal disease and dietary changes, which can lead to systemic consequences and even death [7]. Therefore, normal and healthy microbiota is vital for the overall wellbeing of the animal. By understanding the external factors and how they affects the gut microbiota, could shed light and provide better treatment and prognosis of gastrointestinal diseases including
Normal microbiota are bacteria that naturally habitat the human body without causing harm. There are two forms, residential and transient. Residential microbiota are the organisms that have been with you since the day you were born and shall remain with you for the rest of your life; meanwhile, transient microbiota are the harmless bacteria that you come in contact with on a daily basis. These can easily be removed from the body meaning that transient microbes only stay with you for a short period of time. Both forms of normal microbiota are usually found on the surface of the skin, mucous membranes, digestive tract, upper respiratory system, intestines,
Microbes are microscopic life forms, usually too small to be seen by the naked eye. Although many microbes are single-celled, there are also numerous multi-cellular organisms. The human body has 10-100 trillion microbes living on it, making it one giant super-organism. Since the first link between microbes and diseases was made, people have been advised to wash their hands. Scientists, however, have recently started to investigate more closely how the microbes that call the human body home affect our health. While some microbes cause disease, others are more beneficial, working with our bodies in many subtle ways.