Welcome to Microbiology, spring 2013. Is microbiology relevant to your life? I think so, of course. But do you? Take a look at this article, and then tell me what you think. Notice phrases like "100 trillion bacteria". Or the idea of carrying around 2 pounds of bacteria. Fat vs. thin. Heart disease and multiple sclerosis. Autism. Are we human, only?
Me, myself, us
What an overwhelming, yet fascinating, article! The picture that comes to mind is of one of those pieces of art that has many tiny objects placed very closely together to form the immediately visible picture. Information on this grand a scale needs to be read and reread in order to grasp just how complex we "ecosystems" really are.
ReplyDeleteRachelle J.
Wow! Fantastic article. The work that Dr. Nicholas did is pretty amazing. From working in health care currently I was pretty amazed to read that introduction of microorganisms could make that much of a difference. Also, who would have thought that fecal transplants could help cure C-diff!? Our bodies truly are amazing...even if we are not "alone!"
ReplyDelete-Patrick L. T/TH
I found this to be a very interesting article. I especially liked the portion about autism because I know persons who struggle with this condition. Intestinal problems coupled with abnormal microbiomes seems to be something that could possibly be detected early in life. It is my hope that one day science and the medical field can find a way to detect this abnormality during infancy and prevent or at least curb autism before the full effects of the condition can occur.
ReplyDeleteMaria M. T/TH
I loved the article, it gives me some hope to a natural weightloss process. I have been struggling with my weight and am sure that plenty of people have been going through the same obsticales as I have, having a microbiome that helps with weight loss would be great option then an invasive surgical procedure. Also, Diabetes runs real strong in my family and having close to a cure would be a miracle for me and my worries.
ReplyDeleteMonique R. M/W
This was a very appealing article! I love reading aricles like this because they really force me to think outside the box about a lot of things around us. It is very interesting to see how many different definitions there are for a "human being" and it is especially interesting to see how people classify it in such different means. I find it fascinating that with so many people diagnosed with autism around the world, there is still no definite founding to as why these people have it. There are still so many unproven curiosities that lead us to ponder just what it is that causes people to have autism. Although, according to the article, "..many autistic people have a genetic defect which interferes with their sulphur metabolism. The Clostridia in their guts could thus be pushing them over the edge." Whether or not that could be one of the many causes, I can't wait for further studies in the future to help contribute to the unknown.
ReplyDeleteRachel A. T/Th
That article is an eye opener! I can't believe how much bacteria is on us and we don't even know it. And you start accumulating them right at birth then on. I never would of thought of microbiomes being equivalent to a body organ even though they both average at being about two pounds. Hopefully one day with the medical findings they will be able to deal with the obesity rates in our country by the levels of certain microbiomes in our body. The links between major medical issues and microbiomes is interesting too.
ReplyDeleteBrittany W
I found this article to be very enlightening. I have always believed bacteria to be harmful and disease causing. I never thought about the fact that they also have the ability to co-exist with us and to help us thrive. I thought it was very interesting that bacteria actually plays a role in whether a person is thin or obese, or nourished or malnourished. I also find it astonishing that bacteria is being linked to autism. Who would have thought that! Hopefully this discovery will help to prevent or treat this disorder. It is amazing to think that genetic diseases can be caused by bacteria. It is also exciting to learn that scientists may be close to an entirely new approach to treatments that appear very promising!
ReplyDeleteTanysha M. M/W
Interesting.. Working in the weight loss industry, reading about how bateria changes in overwieght vs thin individuals is something that I have never heard of. In addition knowing that certain bacteria is more likely present with certain health conditions gives me hope that knowing this information researchers may be able to find new ways to promote bateria that would lesson the impacts of such diseases and kill bacteria that were necessary to rid someone of such condition. This made me think of the fecal transplant discussion we had in class and although that is not appealing to me what-so-ever if I was suffering from a condition that could be relieved but such ideas I may be more open minded. Renee S.
ReplyDeleteReading this article was really eye-opening. I never really thought about all the good things that bacteria can do for one's body. The variations on the different bacterias that are in each individual's body was very interesting to read about. For example, the way that people who are considered to be over-weight tend to have more Firmicutes in the gut and less of Bacteroidetes than people who aren't considered to be overweight. The same scenario also applies to the study that was conducted on twins. If one twin was malnourished and the other wasn't, they found that the twin that was malnourished twin body had a certain "bug" that made it difficult for them to absurd vitamins and break down complex carbs. It was also very interesting to read about the ways that bacteria can be "rearranged" so that aren't so harmful. It was really interesting to learned that by getting an intestinal bypass surgery that it will cause diabetes to disappear due to the change in the intestine. I really do think that all these discovers will allow for treatment and cure to be able to people all over the world that have to live with different diseases and illnesses. I really do think that certain diseases are close to being preventable with the new discovers in the health-care filed.
ReplyDeleteTimara G. M/W
I found the article to be very thought-provoking. This article highlighted the important roles microbiomes play in the human body. I would have never imagined that during the course of scientific research, it would be uncovered that treating patients with Clostridium difficile with an enema containing feces from a healthy individual would possibly cure severe GI tract problems. It is fascinating that a closer look at each individual’s microbiomes the medical community can potentially uncover what makes certain individuals more susceptible to getting certain diseases. Perhaps, further studies of the microbiomes will find cures for many other chronic illnesses.
ReplyDeleteRebeca P. M/W
This article was quite interesting just like the first week of class was. I never imagined that microbiology was literally ubiquitous. What sparked my interest the most was the work of Dr. Nicholson dealing with type 2 diabetes. Roux-en-Y, in simple terms, changes the microbiome of a human. The fact that about 80 percent of patients treated this way had their diabetes vanished in a matter of days is truly extraordinary. This seems to point to the importance of microbiome and if anything is paving the way to medical advancement. Hopefully within a matter of years the microbiome of humans is studied more.
ReplyDeleteErick F V. M/W
Amazing,unbelievable article!!! "trillions of bacteria" that resides in the human body such as the skin, intestines, mouth???!!! Who would have thouhgt that there are trillions of bacteria lives in and on in the human body. Indeed, the microorganisms protects their hosts, but also cause disease such as heart disease, autism, diabetes, and so on... It is a very informative and interesting article, indeed.
ReplyDeleteRhobyW M/W
Very interesting article!:) From this article I learned so many new things about the human body, I knew that we were major hosts for bacteria, but never in my wildest dreams would I have ever thought about some of the facts mentioned by the article. This article really opened up a new world of curiosity for me about the world of Microbiology. Learning about the riboflavin-producing bugs was very interesting, and above all what they do was more captivating! Additionally, it was beyond me to learn about all of the bacteria the human body is composed of. More importantly all of this knowledge about the bacteria could provide a breakthrough for science and in the future could allow for new findings on treatment for disease!
ReplyDeleteYadira R. T/Th
This article was truly interesting! Becoming aware of how the trillions of bacteria present in the gut can influence our body so much really gives the opportunity for infinite research. It would have never crossed my mind that “egg and sperm provide about 23,000 different genes” whereas the microbiome, which we aren’t necessarily born with completely, can be as much as around 3 million. After reading this article I am more convinced that microbiology is definitely relevant to all of our lives. We are not only carrying around bacteria inside and out that affects our health, but also carrying around even more that plays a role in determining our weight, nutrition, and our susceptibility to various diseases.
ReplyDelete- Jennifer L. T/TH
This article is fascinating. The human body is like a planet to microbes. I found it interesting that the author compared these microbes to an extra organ. Additionally, I think it is neat that they think that they are finding links between microbes and diseases like diabetes.
ReplyDelete-Eric B. M/W
The article raise new questions on the field of Microbiology. People are beginning to show interest on the importace of this field in dicovering new ways to cure diseases, and that co-existing with bacteria is just as imporatnt as protecting ourselves from them. The thing that I found most fascinating about the article is the study they made on faecal transplant. Who knew that something like feces could actuallty help us treat gut infections.
ReplyDelete- Nicole S. T/TH