Microbes Essay

1428 Words3 Pages

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.
Microbes are everywhere in the biosphere, and their presence invariably affects the environment in which they grow. The effects …show more content…

For the most part, we live peacefully alongside these alien hitchhikers. In fact, many of these microbes are actually beneficial. The microbes living in our digestive system break down food and produce useful vitamins. The millions of microbes that coat our skin and insides form a protective barrier against more dangerous microbes. Without them, our bodies would be open to microbial attack.
ECOSYSTEMS: Microbes obtain energy from their environment. Like humans, many microbes do this by eating plant and animal material. A typical microbe buffet consists of waste from humans and other animals, dead plants and animals, and food scraps. Bacteria, fungi and algae all take part in decomposing — or breaking down — this waste material. Without them, the world would quickly be overrun with discarded food scraps, raw sewage and dead organisms.
Microbial decomposition releases nutrients into the environment that are needed by other organisms. Microbes are also involved in the cycling of many other important compounds in — and between — ecosystems, including oxygen, carbon and nitrogen. Many microbes use the energy of sunlight to convert carbon dioxide to oxygen, which we need to breathe. As they do this, they create new organic material — themselves — which are then eaten by other organisms. In this way, the cycling of nutrients and energy

Show More
Related

  • Deadly Companions: How Microbes Shaped Our History

    1054 Words  | 3 Pages

    In short, the book 'Deadly Companions: How Microbes Shaped Our History' explains the dynamism, the changing interactions between humans and microbes, and the way and extent to which these interactions have influenced the human cultural history. This book is very useful because it tell us that we must strive to understand what makes microbes successful as we are faced with unrelenting microbial drug resistance. Microbes mutate to fatal human pandemics and it’s for this reason that we need to adopt a microbe centric world views.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Jennifer Ackerman's The Ultimate Social Network

    611 Words  | 2 Pages

    Jennifer Ackerman's main focus in her article The Ultimate Social Network, is that of the functions concerning bacteria within humans. Although scientists have had presumptions about humans being proficient in governing their body’s innermost structure, they soon come to recognize the sophistication of our inner space which holds an extensive plethora of bacteria and other microorganisms that lie within each and every one of us. Moreover, scientists' new and emerging view of how the human body operates, and the cause of increasing present-day diseases (i.e. obesity and different autoimmune disorders) are uncovered by analyzing effects of certain microbe species in our bodies. By italicizing on points such as the above, in conjunction with bacteria's genetic variations, and modern computing technology, the author proves that scientists are quickly progressing with the characterization the most prevalent species of microbes, which, in her opinion, is definitely paying off.

    Read More

  • Essay On Unknown Bacteria

    1121 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • E Coli Infection Essay

    718 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Oral Microbiomes Essay

    1273 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Gut Microbiota Essay

    666 Words  | 2 Pages

    The main factors that affect the composition of gut microbial are age, diet, antibiotic use and genetics. These factors change the gut microbiota by changing the selective environment of the gut. Although we can gain new gut microbes during our life, most of the changes that occur are changes in the relative abundance of the microbes already in our guts. We start with a sterile gut and gain microbes during and after birth. At birth, infants show a low diversity of microbes which are experimentally shown to be associated with their mode of delivery. The intestinal microbiota of infants delivered through the vagina contain microbes present in the mother’s vagina and feces. These microbes are usually of the Lactobacillus and

    Read More

  • Infectious Disease Essay

    665 Words  | 2 Pages

    These germs, or organisms, are often living in or on our bodies. Most of the time they are harmless, and sometimes they are helpful.2 These organisms are often called microorganisms because they are so small they can only be seen through a microscope. There are millions of microorganisms living in your body that help with body functions. The problem is when a microorganism that can cause disease enters your body and starts to multiply. These unwanted microorganisms are called pathogens. Pathogens can be bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoans and insects or animals.3

    Read More

  • Jeannie Brown and Invasive Group A Streptococcus

    1156 Words  | 3 Pages

    our everyday lives bacteria is constantly surrounding us, some of the bacterium that we encounter are beneficial to us but then there are the ones that are severely detrimental to our health. The way that they effect a persons body can differ from person to person. Many of the “microscopic foes” are very resilient and have a very fast reproduction rate. Not only do they reproduce quickly they sometimes seem to outsmart our immune system and not allow our bodies to fight the infection making it almost impossible to stop them. One thing that a lot if people rely on is the assistance of prescription drugs to get them better but even the drugs are not being effective and we can’t stop the pathogens from invading our personal places such as work, home, school, or anywhere. Even though modern medicine is advancing the pathogens could still get the get the best of us. The scary thing is we never know when the next pandemic or epidemic is going to arise. All it needs is some ordinary microbe to swap genes with a deadly germ to produce a “super pathogen” and it could happen to anyone, anywhere, as it did to Jeannie Brown who is from “our neck of the woods”.

    Read More

  • Superbugs Essay

    2729 Words  | 6 Pages

    Bacterial resistance to antibiotics has presented many problems in our society, including an increased chance of fatality due to infections that could have otherwise been treated with success. Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections, but overexposure to these drugs give the bacteria more opportunities to mutate, forming resistant strains. Through natural selection, those few mutated bacteria are able to survive treatments of antibiotics and then pass on their genes to other bacterial cells through lateral gene transfer (Zhaxybayeva, 2011). Once resistance builds in one patient, it is possible for the strain to be transmitted to others through improper hygiene and failure to isolate patients in hospitals.

    Read More

  • Excessie Use of Antibiotics

    1580 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...standing the nature of relationship between the residing microbes inside human cells and about their function is very important to put an end to this war and to live in peace with the natural organisms that are benefitting human body and their survival has become our primary importance.

    Read More

  • Braces and Crohn's Disease

    1077 Words  | 3 Pages

    The microbiota, or the microbes living in and on a person, is an important contribution to the health of a person. The mouth, like every other part of the body, is overloaded with microorganisms, including viruses, protozoa, archaea, and bacteria. There are about 1000 different species of bacteria in the mouth. The most commonly seen species of bacteria phyla found in the mouth Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Spirochaetes, Synergistetes, and Tenericutes. The oral flora is important to maintain, and periodontitis, imflammation of the gums, is one specific disease of the mouth that is due to a contribution of a change in the microbiota. In order to maintain a healthy oral microbiota, brushing teeth with toothpaste and flossing are recommended. The mouth is known to be the cause for many diseases, especially heart disease due to the easy access to the bloodstream (Wade). The microbiota is made up of many types of bacteria that work together to maintain proper health when the patient has good oral hygiene habits.

    Read More

  • Benefits Of Microorganisms

    1493 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Cambridge dictionary defines microorganisms as living thing that on its own cannot be seen without a microscope. Also known as microbes, they are categorised into 6 main types this includes: Bacteria, Viruses, Algae, Archaea, Protozoa and Fungi. In this piece of writing I will explore the main benefits of microorganism to Man in the economy and society as well as its consequences. Microorganisms are very important in the environment and its ecosystems, however they are also very beneficial to Humans; they are commonly used in industry to manufacture goods and food products which are distributed all over the world, thus impacting the economy, furthermore they play a huge role in the Pharmaceutical industry through the production of antibiotics. Amongst other things microorganisms can be used in everyday life from sewage disposal to water purification to effectively treating viral human diseases.

    Read More

  • Essay On Microbiology

    1989 Words  | 4 Pages

    The term “microbiology” refers to the branch of study that deals with microorganisms. Microbiology is extremely important in today’s time for the crucial information that the study provides. Human’s have had a long and cruel history of disease and sickness, for example the bubonic plague, but microbiology gives scientists the ability to observe, study, and prevent sickness like the bubonic plague to ever happen again. At the center of microbiology lies the bacterial cell, one that differs from those of a plant or animal because it lacks a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles which, in turn are traded for pili, flagella, and in some cases a cell capsule. Bacteria that are capable of causing illness or disease are called pathogens, pathogens work by releasing toxins in the body or directly damaging the host’s cells. An article by Lise Wilkinson explains that the earliest categorizations of bacterial cells first occurred in the late eighteen-hundreds to the early nineteen-hundreds by scientists (at the time) O. Muller and C. Ehrenburg (Wilkinson, 2004). The observation and identification of unknown bacteria that emerge is crucial because these new bacteria might be pathogenic and cause illness so it is very important that the bacteria is identified as soon as possible in order to either prevent the upcoming illness or treat it. While the common person is unable to identify if they are carrying bacteria (which is very likely), specialized tests that are ran in a lab can identify different types of bacteria and can even help

    Read More

  • Aquaponics Essay

    1116 Words  | 3 Pages

    The main biotic factors are the plants, fish, and microorganisms. The plants are the main component of an aquaponic system, and they play a significant role in forming a symbiotic ecosystem, the plants also provide water full of nutrients for the fish. Additionally, the fish play a role in forming the ecosystem, but they also assist in the growth of the of the plants by allowing for clean water to be produced from their waste. The bacteria allow for the nitrification cycle to take place, in turn, cleaning the water in the

    Read More

  • Reflection On Microbiology

    877 Words  | 2 Pages

    Studies have shown that there are bacteria and fungi with certain strains that live in soil. When they are applied to the seeds, they can aid crops by invigorating plant growth or by decreasing the damage created from plant pathogens bred from the soil. Another example is the bacterial species, Mycorrhiza. It is a fungus, which is able to form a union with a majority of land plants. When this action occurs, that symbiotic relationship assists to increase uptake by the root system to about 90 percent. This in turn helps the plant take in water and nutrients from deep inside the soil. It also allows the activation of genes and physiological changes in the plant which helps them to survive drought circumstances. Other microbes are also able to lift a plant 's resistance to bugs. A larger focus on microorganisms colonizing our plants and sharing a symbiotic relationship with them would greatly improve yields and lessen the need for costly fertilizers and pesticides. Information such as this would be very useful for students in college who are interested in businesses such as

    Read More

More about Microbes Essay

Open Document