Human Gut Microbiota, Essay Example

Human gut microbiota consists of bacteria, eukarya, and archaea, which are harbored in the gastrointestinal tract (Senghor et al., 2018; Dekaboruak et al., 2020). These microorganisms have overly co-existed with the host to form a mutually beneficial relationship, such as maintaining good health (Priya & Blekhman, 2019). The gut microbiota plays a vital role in influencing the host during homeostasis (Thursby & Juge, 2017). Additionally, the gut flora performs metabolic and immunity functions. Alteration of the gut bacterial composition causes inflammatory diseases. Therefore, establishing the gut microbiota is vital during infancy and is majorly influenced by diet. An in-depth discussion on the composition, population, functions, and features of the human gut microbiota follows to enhance understanding. Additionally, a discussion on how the human gut microbiota is studied and Escherichia coli and enterococcus population in the gut is to be included.

The human gut flora is composed of microorganisms, which vary in classification and performance. The variation occurs due to age and environmental factors (Wilson et al., 2020). These microorganisms included bacteria, fungi, protozoans, archaea, and viruses (Peroni et al., 2020). The bacteria consist of the phyla Verrucomicrobia (Kho & Lal, 2018; Rinninella et al., 2019). Firmicutes, which consist of 200 different genera such as Enterococcus spp. and Bacteroidetes, which consist of Prevotella and Bacteroides, form 90% of the gut flora (Runninella et al., 2019). These microorganisms form the gut microbiota.

The community of the human gut flora is extensive. The flora ranges between 10^13-10^14, approximately 10 times greater than the number of human cells (Thursby & Juge, 2017). The approximation is borrowed from the total number of bacterial microbes in the colon, 3.8 times 10^13 (Kho & Lal, 2018). Therefore, the high population of the gut flora increases its capability to perform its functions.

The human gut flora performs digestion and immunity functions in the host’s body. First, they facilitate metabolism by ensuring smooth digestion (Ahlawat & Sharma, 2020). The gut microbiota regulates digestion through the process of extraction, synthesis, and absorption of nutrients such as amino acids, lipids, and vitamins. Secondly, the human gut microbiota plays a key immune function (Rinninella et al., 2019). The gut microbiota inhibits pathogenic bacteria settlement through PH modification, nutrient metabolism, and antimicrobial peptide secretion. As a result, the growth of bacteria is inhibited, promoting good health.

The human gut flora has distinct characteristics that support its functionality. First, they have a large diversity of microbial species (Rinninella et al., 2019). Large diversity means that the microbiota is of different species, which produce different compounds that facilitate metabolism and immunity. These diverse microbiotas can co-exist harmoniously in the host’s gut. For instance, the gut flora is composed of different bacteria such as Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes, making them more capable and resilient to facilitate better functioning (Ghosh & Pramanik, 2021). For instance, when one microbe fails, another can chip in to perform similar functions. The microbiota diversity is influenced by factors such as age, diet, and the environment (Deng et al., 2019). Secondly, the gut microbiota has symbiotic interactions. The gut microbiota depends on the host for habitat and nutrition (Wu & Wang, 2019). On the other hand, the host benefits from the gut microbiota since they digest food, enabling the host to attain the energy and nutrients necessary for survival. Therefore, the gut microbiota has the feature of symbiotic interaction, which is beneficial to them.

Further, different methods are applied in studying the human gut flora. Some methods include biopsy, luminal brushing, and stool samples (Aldars-Garcia et al., 2021). However, the stool is commonly used for various pragmatic reasons. The stool majorly represents the microbial community of the colon and, to a smaller degree, that of the small intestines. The stool is widely used for the study because it is less contaminated by human genes and contains high levels of microbial density (Tang et al., 2020). Moreover, the stool is used due to its easy availability and non-invasive nature. However, different studies are being conducted to develop tools that effectively collect intestinal microbiota without errors.

Escherichia coli and Enterococcus spp. population in the gut is varied. The Escherichia coli population is approximated to be 10^9 CFU per gram in the stool (Richter et al., 2018). Escherichia coli makes at least 90% of the gut microbiota (Foster-Nyarko & Pallen, 2022). On the other hand, the population of Enterococcus in the human gut is approximately 10^6 to 10^7, where at least 1% is found in the colon, while less than 1% is in the small intestines (Kraczyk et al., 2021). Therefore, Enterococcus spp. strains in the human gut represent 1% of the fecal flora. Hence, the population of Escheria coli is higher compared to Enterococcus.

In conclusion, the human gut microbiota consists of various elements such as bacteria and viruses. Its population is high and is estimated to range between 10^13 and 10^14, approximately ten times higher than the number of humans. Further, the human gut flora performs digestion and immunity functions. Furthermore, the microbiota has various features such as symbiosis interaction and large diversity. The stool is commonly used to study the human gut flora because of its easy availability. Escherichia coli and Enterococcus are part of the human gut microbiota. Thus, the human gut flora is extensive with various components and functions.

References

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