NIH Public Access Author Manuscript Nat Rev Microbiol. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2013 January 03. Published in final edited form as: Nat Rev Microbiol. 2011 April ; 9(4): 244–253. doi:10.1038/nrmicro2537. The skin microbiome $watermark-text Elizabeth A. Grice and Julia A. Segre Genetics and Molecular Biology Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892–4442, USA. Abstract $watermark-text The skin is the human body’s largest organ, colonized by a diverse milieu of microorganisms, most of which are harmless or even beneficial to their host. Colonization is driven by the ecology of the skin surface, which is highly variable depending on …show more content…
The skin is a continuously selfrenewing organ, and squames are constantly shed from the skin surface as the final stage of terminal differentiation, having begun their migration from the basal layer ~4 weeks earlier12. Invaginations and appendages $watermark-text Cutaneous invaginations and appendages, including sweat glands (eccrine and apocrine), sebaceous glands and hair follicles, are likely to be associated with their own unique microbiota13 (FIG. 1). Eccrine glands, which are more abundant than apocrine glands, are found on virtually all skin surfaces and continuously bathe the skin surface with their secretion, which is composed mainly of water and salt. The primary role of eccrine sweat is thermoregulation through the release of latent heat from the evaporation of water. Additional functions of eccrine glands include excretion of water and electrolytes, and acidification of the skin, which prevents the colonization and growth of microorganisms. Apocrine glands, which are located in the axillary vault (armpit), nipple and genitoanal regions, respond to adrenaline by producing milky, viscous, odourless secretions. Apocrine secretions have long been postulated to contain pheromones, which are molecules that trigger certain behaviours (for example, sexual or alarm) in the receiving individual14. The stereotypical
They are commonly spread by human activities, often unintentionally. First, they can spread by ships that carry aquatic organisms in the ballast water and on the bottom of boats. Second, insects can live inside wood products, like shipping palettes and crates and when shipped across the country they can spread. Third, some ornamental plants shipped to other non-native places can alter their ecosystem. Lastly, exotic pet trade can cause damage and/or extinction if not handled properly and could carry invasive bacteria.
Analysts have been concentrating among the dynamic parts of supportive microorganisms inside the human body, and they found out that: “In fact, most of the cells in the human body are not human at all. Bacteria cells in the human body outnumber human cells 10 to one.” (Jennifer Ackerman, 2012, p. 38) Ackerman also expresses that
The skin is one of the principal barrier instruments in your insusceptible framework. Little organs in the skin discharge oils that upgrade the hindrance capacity of the skin. Safe cells live in the skin and give the primary line of protection against diseases.
According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, the skin is the body’s largest organ and actively prevents harmful microbes from entering the body. However, the integumentary systems sometimes suffers from these four dangerous conditions.
In our world we are surrounded by microorganisms, some are harmless, many are beneficial; they are a part of our normal flora on our skin and in our intestines, providing a barrier against microorganisms that may not be so harmless. It is important, however, to distinguish which microorganisms are potentially pathogenic from those that are not, and when someone does get ill to determine what the organism is so appropriate treatment can be determined.
whose introduction causes or is likely to cause harm. These non-native species are a leading
There are trillions of microorganisms living within us, greatly outnumbering our cells and genes. They are found in our skin, hair, membranes, mucous membranes and gastrointestinal tracts. Collectively these microorganisms are called our microbiota. Every individual has a unique microbiota, kind of like a fingerprint, but usually share similar metabolic functions. A vast majority of these are harmless and even beneficial to us, these are referred to as commensals. There are many bacterial commensals, that have co-evolved with us for centuries, making it possible for our bodies to properly function. Commensals benefit us by synthesizing vitamins and minerals, digest foods we alone cannot, regulate immunity, detox the body, protect against infections, and reduce inflammation. While there
The skin is the largest organ of the body, the skin protects us from microbes and the elements, it also helps regulate body temperature, and permits the sensations of touch, heat, and cold. There are three layers of skin, this includes the epidermis, the outermost layer of skin, provides a waterproof barrier and creates our skin tone, the dermis, beneath the epidermis, contains tough connective tissue, which gives the skin flexibility and strength, hair follicles, produce the various types of hair found throughout our body, sweat glands, these produce sweat in response to stress and heat, blood vessels of the dermis are what help regulate our body temperature, and nerve ending, which sense pain, pressure and temperature and the hypodermis, the deeper internal tissue is made of fat and connective tissue, this functions as a protective shield for
“The skin is the largest, most visible, and most complicated of the body systems. In an average adult, it covers more than 3,000 square inches and weighs about six pounds. It is served by one third of all the blood circulating the body” (Saxon, 2010, p. 17).The skin has many functions in which one needs in order to stay healthy and living. The skin protects the underlying tissues and structures of one’s body, and prevents them from drying or obtaining an excessive loss of water and electrolytes. It also regulates the temperatures in the body through mechanisms such as sweating and shivering. Acting as a physical, chemical, and biological barrier, the skin protects from harmful bacteria and foreign substances contacting with the body. Most importantly,
The human skin are the most fragile organ of our body. The skin can attract many different diseases and contains three layers. In my essay I will tell and explain the many different diseases that the skin can attract and what consist of the skin.
Every person has bacteria that inhabit the skin and other body parts. Most of the bacteria are normal and not harmful to the individual. Certain types of bacteria inhabit different parts of the body because of the different resources the environment offers for the various bacteria. There are bacteria that thrive in the skin folds of humans because the moisture level and there is also a high salt level there, for example. The normal flora are opportunistic, and they need a way of entry in order to be harmful to the individual. Neisseria, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus are examples of bacteria that if given the opportunity can be harmful to humans. Growing the bacteria, gram staining and performing an oxidase test can be done
Basic type of skin and delicate tissue contamination are abscesses and are expanding now a day with the rise of methicillin-safe S. aureus (Pallin et al., 2009).
Although many may not realize it we have bacteria everywhere. Many when they hear the word bacteria they automatically think it is a bad thing, although yes it is the reason for many disease us humans carry not all of the bacteria is bad. For example we need bacteria when we digest our food making cheese, butter, decomposing waste in sewage plants, and helping make antibiotics. Bacteria is also responsible for some elements elements like carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen to be returned to the atmosphere. The surface of the skin is home to many different bacterias and know as Microbiota. Research from the past shows that bacteria plays a significant role in the skin's health and immune responses but it has never really been clear until now. There
Encompassing structures like; hair, nails, nerves and glands, the integumentary system is evidently a hugely important and crucial organ within the human body (Science Net Links, 2015). Despite containing all of these structures however, the main component of the integumentary system is the skin. Consisting of three layers; epidermis, dermis and hypodermis, the skin plays key functional roles in the control of temperature within the body, production of essential vitamins, housing of sensory receptors, secretion of waste products and protection of the body (Kerr, 2010).
Microbes are found on every surface in the human body including the skin, respiratory tract, gastrointestinal (GI) tract and urogenital tract. The skin for example is a highly varied environment, harbouring mainly gram positive bacteria, with some areas being dense in population and others being very sparse, due to the different conditions on different parts of the skin. This selectivity is shown in an experiment carried out by Elizabeth Costello and colleagues, in which it was found that microbes transplanted from the tongue to the forearm grew as a new community but those transplanted to the forehead grew as the community they had replaced (Barley, 2009), thus showing that the conditions of the different types of skin – relatively oily forehead or dry forearm – present a means of selectivity for the types of bacteria that will grow there. In the GI tract, numbers of human flora increase further down the channel due to the varying environments. In the stomach, due to the low pH, there are low populations of microbes, as not many would be able to attach to a surface and survive in the acidic conditions. In the upper part of the GI