Good and bad bacteria exist in our environment, depending on which one enters the body the immune system these bacteria can either compromise or aid the immune system’s illness fighting capabilities. In class we learned that the skin aids in fighting infection by acting as a protective barrier. In addition, we discussed how normal flora is found on the skin and aids in the defense mechanism because it fights off potential threats by competing with them. The normal flora consists of microorganisms such as protozoa, fungi and bacteria. The normal flora will compete with the foreign bacteria for nutrients and space and has the ability to push out or starve the invader as said in class.
In the article, Skin Microbes Help Clear Infection by Anna Azvolinsky, she talks about an experiment conducted by Stanley Spinola of Indiana University whose goal was to analyze the type of ecology found on the human skin and observe the effects it has regarding the skin 's
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With closer analysis he was able to determine a predictive signature among the participants. Closer analysis allowed him to determine that the four individuals who did not succumb to the pustular stage had similar microbiome community structures. Furthermore, he found that the ones who progressed to the pustular stage had dynamic microbiome community structures. The results showed an association between the microorganisms found on the skin and the skins ability to spontaneously resolve an infection. Even Though Spinola’s experiment did prove that the microbiome had an effect on resolution of infection, it was unclear whether the bacteria normally found on the skin directly help to eliminate pathogenic bacteria. Spinola plans on conducting a further study which also includes the viral and fungal components of the normal