In developed countries, an enormous change has occurred within the human body over the past century—the loss of parasitic worms. Due to improvements in sanitation, roundworms that have inhabited human intestines (such as the hookworm above) and challenged our immune system for millions of years are no longer a threat. Does the end of this long-term relationship come at a cost?
What is the hygiene hypothesis? What correlation does it attempt to explain?

Question

In developed countries, an enormous change has occurred within the human body over the past century—the loss of parasitic worms. Due to improvements in sanitation, roundworms that have inhabited human intestines (such as the hookworm above) and challenged our immune system for millions of years are no longer a threat. Does the end of this long-term relationship come at a cost?

What is the hygiene hypothesis? What correlation does it attempt to explain?

Accepted Answer

Hello everyone. Let's look at the next question. Which of the following is true about the hygiene hypothesis. Well, the hygiene hypothesis is the idea that exposure to certain microorganisms during childhood and even prenatally helps protect individuals against allergic diseases. And this speaking because the idea is that that helps develop the immune system helping it to distinguish begin to distinguish between harmless substances. So like gut microbes, environmental allergens, things like that and harmful ones that will make us ill. So the idea being that it helps develop the immune system to differentiate harmful organisms or substances. So if we look over our answer choices, we see that choice B here says exposure to microorganisms during childhood can help establish immune tolerance and this is correct immune tolerance is the ability of our immune system not to overreact to things like environmental origins or our own cells or things like that. So the idea is that development of immune system helps establish immune tolerance for harmless entities in our environment. Let's go through other answer choices to understand why they're not correct choice A says unclench penis can help improve our immune system. Well this is a pretty easy misunderstanding because we think about hygiene, we think about being clean. Um And the hygiene hypothesis does involve something improving our immune system, but it's not unclench penis that's improving the immune system, it's exposure to certain microorganisms. So it's still a bad idea to get exposed to salmonella from, you know, raw meat juices. But the harmless microorganisms that just coexist along with us can help develop the immune system. So that's why A is not the correct answer. Choice C. Says If we maintain cleanliness we will not get infected by any pathogen. Um Well this is not the correct answer. It's not part of the hygiene hypothesis that's specifically about being exposed to normal organisms and allergens in the environment. And finally, Choice D. Says vaccinations can help us stay protected against various infections. Well that's a true statement but not about the hygiene hypothesis. It is not about vaccinations. So again which is true about the hygiene hypothesis. Choice B. Exposure to microorganisms during childhood can help establish immune tolerance. See you in the next video.

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Key Concepts

Hygiene Hypothesis

Immune System Development

Parasitic Worms and Human Health