First-Line Defenses: Normal Microbiota - Online Tutor, Practice Problems & Exam Prep

Normal Microbiota

This video, we're going to discuss the normal microbiota as a first line defense mechanism of innate immunity. The normal microbiota is also sometimes referred to as the microbiome. This term refers to the population of resident microbes that grow in and on our bodies, representative of healthy humans. Healthy humans have a healthy microbiome. The normal microbiota or the microbiome is part of the first line of defense in innate immunity and is essential to immune development during and after childbirth. Humans will acquire their microbiota during and after childbirth. Some members of the microbiota protect us by blocking attachment sites that pathogenic microbes use to cause harm. By blocking these attachment sites, they help protect us from these pathogenic microbes. Other members of the microbiota can produce chemicals that are toxic to pathogenic bacteria, once again helping to protect against pathogenic bacteria. Our normal microbiota can protect us from these pathogenic microbes. The normal microbiota can be disrupted; antibiotics can disrupt our normal microbiota, making a person more susceptible to various infections. Because our normal microbiota plays a significant role in protecting us from pathogenic microbes, probiotics, live microbe cultures that are applied or ingested, benefit the normal microbiota. Prebiotics specifically refers to chemicals used to promote the growth of these beneficial consumed microbes. These are consumed along with probiotics. Here, we’re showing a bunch of microbes living on and in our bodies, referred to as our normal microbiome or normal microbiota. In this cartoon, it says, "You are not welcome here," to these pathogenic microbes, and the microbes respond, "Well, you're not really a good host." This cartoon illustrates how the normal microbiome that we have is important for protection and serves as a first line of defense. This here concludes our brief lesson on the normal microbiota as a first line defense mechanism, and we'll be able to get some practice applying these concepts as we move forward in our course. So, I'll see you all in our next video.

Normal microbiota:

• A. Are the organisms that typically reside on and in your body.
• B. Protect against infection by pathogens.
• C. Enhance infection by pathogens.
• D. Play no role in affecting pathogen growth.
• E. A and B.
• F. C and D.

The human body typically begins to be colonized by its normal microflora:

• A. Before birth, in utero.
• B. When a child first goes to school.
• C. During puberty.
• D. During and immediately after birth.
• E. When an infant gets its first infectious disease.