When we talk about normal human microbiota, we refer to the set of microorganisms that are located at different sites of the human body. They reside on the surface of our skin, but also in the deeper layers of it, and can also be found in the saliva and oral mucosa, in the conjunctiva, and in the gastrointestinal tracts. Do you want to know more about them?
In Catalysis we are specialists in the investigation and development of products that can be profitable for us, so knowing about normal flora of the human body is a mandatory requirement for our day-to-day work. Keep reading to know more about what are normal microbiota.
Normal human microbiota: beneficial microorganisms
Although we tend to associate some microorganisms with harmful effects on humans, we must say that normal human microbiota are beneficial and helpful to keep us healthy. And if you ever wondered what constitutes normal human flora, it’s all about various bacteria, fungi, and archaea.
Example of normal human microbiota
This concept is always hard to explain without a complementary example, so let’s take Escherichia coli bacteria, also known as E. coli, for instance. Every human being acquires this microorganism right after being born with the intake of food or water.
In general terms, the Escherichia coli lives in our intestines and it’s necessary for proper digestion of carbohydrates. We also have to highlight that normal human microbiota play a key role in helping the human body fight off many infections.
Diving into human microbiota
The term microbiota is associated with the community of living microorganisms that form microbial ecosystems. With regard to the human microbiota, we must mention that it is habitually divided into two categories:
- Autochthonous microbiota: This includes those microorganisms that colonise the host for a long period of time and they can take part in some physiological functions.
- Allochthonous microbiota: Includes microorganisms that can be found in any habitat and in any system. By contrast, they are not used to contribute to the physiology of human beings and are present transiently.
This classification can also be made according to the length of stay in the host and in this way the human microbiota can be differentiated as follows:
- Latent microbiota: It’s the set of microorganisms that preserves the host for most of its life. They do not show major fluctuations in their population and usually have symbiotic activity with the person.
- Transient microbiota: On the other side, there are microbiota that show continuous fluctuations in their population and are usually not indispensable for the survival of the individual.
Read more about human health
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