What is the primary role of the normal, thriving bacterial flora in your large intestines?
601928
One of the main functions of gut flora is protection. The friendly and rapidly-replicating gut microbes out-compete pathogens. They inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria by secreting substances that are toxic to non-indigenous bacteria.\nThe natural gut flora also secrete vitamins B12 and K as metabolic by-products. Lactose-fermenting bacteria such as E coli produce lactase, the enzyme that breaks down lactose, a sugar found in milk and other dairy products.
398889
Infection in your intestines.  You need to do a colon cleanse and eat yogurt every day.
882477
some yeasts can be part of the normal flora.\n\nbeing part of the normal flora doesn't disqualify something as a pathogen, however.\n\nsome times it just takes a change in the population of the normal flora for a normally harmless resident to cause a lot of trouble.
54264
take some LACTOBACILLUS powder supplement. drink lots of water. consult a Doctor if u get bloody diarrhoea.\n\nIt will help restoring the good bacterial flora inside your gastrointestinal tract.
458884
do you mean duodenum? that is the large intestine with the small intestine being the ileum. not sur ewhich enzymes are present in each part, been a while since school. look up human enzymes
312326
Citrobacter diversu is a member fo the faimly Enterobacteriaceae which are a large group of closely related species that are found in soil, water, decaying mater and the large intestines of humans, animals and insects. \n\nThe members of this group of bacteria are referred to as the enterics and are responsible for the majority of nosocomial (hospital-acquired) infections seen today. It's estimated that 2 million patients per year (5-10% of the total number of hospital patients) will acquire an infection while hospitalized.\n\nMany of the organisms isolated from nosocomial infections are resistant to multiple anitmicrobial agents.
110045
The small intestine is a long, narrow, coiled tube extending from the stomach to the large intestine. This is the place where most digestion and absorption of food takes place. The small intestine of a human can be as long as six to eight meters long (20-26 feet), depending on age and size of being. So much length can be compacted into so little space because of the nature of the small intestine; it is coiled and takes up less space, while maintaining it's enormous surface area.\n\nThe large intestine is the posterior or end of the human intestine that consists of four regions the, the cecum, the colon, the rectum and the anal canal. The large intestine is wider but shorter than the small intestine. It measures approximately 1.5 meters (5 feet) in length and its primary function is to absorb water and electrolytes that have already passed unabsorbed through the small intestine.\n\nTogether - the intestines range in length anywhere from 25 - 31 feet.
336932
Bacteria are prokaryotic, meaning 'without nucleus'. The basic bacteria has a cell membrane, which holds in its cytoplasam and genetic material. The bacteria holds lots of ribosomes for creating proteins, which are ever so important in a living organism. Bacteria do not have a cell wall, this is plant cells (eukaryotic) only. Some bacteria have tiny hairs covering the body called silia aiding in movement. Other have a single hair, or maybe two, this is called a flagellum. I typed this fast so spelling may be off, but the information is correct.\n\nthefeistyguy
60526
Most bacteria, fungi, and yeast require oxygen to decompose food (or other organic solids). When there is a limited amount of oxygen, anaerobic microbes tend to take over the decomposition, but at a much slower rate. Thus the ziploc bags prevent normal microbes from growing (although they can not completely preserve food, because the anaerobic bacteria can still grow).\n\nAnaerobic bacteria produce a foul odor that smells acidic, and they cause food to not only harden, but also gain an acidic taste. Often times however it is hard to see the anaerobic bacteria. Normal microbes on the other hand might form rapidly, and tend to have less of an odor. They are usually very visible.
515634
Of course we do. \nThe point that mind-boggles you is a problem of location. \nE.coli in our intestines are in the lumen of the digestive tract, so technically, they are OUT of our body. \nShould ANY E.coli (pathogenic or not) make it through the intestine´s epitelium, there would be a HUGE inflammatory response. \n\nComplement shouldn´t be of any help with these bacteria ´cause they are enwrapped with a double membrane and a middle barrier of peptideglycan. Besides, the outer membrane is permeable enough for complement to make any difference. Complement channels can´t reach the inner membrane, which is the one that matters for lysis.
422182
I was told that because I had to have lots of penicillin when I was a child (sick all the time), that my "good" bacteria in my intestines was destroyed.  I need to take acidophiles daily to keep my diarhia and cramps at bay..It really works!
227207
Bacteria is essential in the breakdown of matter.  Ecologically, bacteria breaks plant and animal matter down into nutritious soil for new plants to grow.\n\nEconomically? Compost, antibiotics, yogurt, etc. all need bacteria.  Also, if bacteria didn't help break down matter, we would have to pay to get rid of it.
175666
Humans do not dominate anything. Bacteria are way more successful than us at surviving, reproducing, colonizing and transforming every tiny corner of Earth's surface, air and water. The Earth contain more bacteria than all other organisms combined. They also fill ourselves: did you know that our bodies host more than 200 species of bacteria and that we couldn't even survive without them?
413292
They have only one real purposre.  First, they dramatically increase the total surface area of your small intestines to help absorb nutrients.  That's why when you get sick and get diarrhea, it's because the illness (virus,bacteria, etc.) has destroyed those villi and decreased the surface area of your intestine and all the stuff you eat just goes right through you.  Second, they say that it assists with motility (moving stuff through) but that isn't really true. You have muscles around your intestines that squeeze in a rythmic pattern and slowly push through section by section.
457479
It is not a serious pathogen, in most people.  Low numbers of this yeast may be in the mouth, gut, groins etc, causing no problems.  It is when it multiplies greatly that it becomes a problem.  This is most likely to happen if the sites are not shared by bacteria, eg after antibiotics have reduced bacterial colonisation.\n\nIt may need treatment, but in practice the problem ("thrush") resolves, after antibiotics cease and the normal bacterial flora return.\n\nIn some patients, it will enter the bloodstream eg if it gets in along catheters that have been inserted through skin, into blood vessels or body cavities .... even the urinary bladder, if there is a urinary catheter, eg in patients in Intensive Care, in coma.  Then, it needs urgent treatment with anti-fungal drugs.
559586
We don't really know.\n\nThe appendix may play a role in allowingthe body to identify pathogens in the gut without mounting a major defence against them and  producing an immune reaction.\n\nThe appendix may also serve a role as a safe harbour for gut bacteria during intestinal infections so that the normal gut flora is never completely removed by infection.\n\nAn enormous amount of medical research has centered on the human appendix, but to date the specific function of the appendix, if any, is still unclear and controversial in human physiology.
554845
Lactobacili\n\nMicroorganisms, both good and bad, that enter our bodies from the food we eat have to conquer various physiological barriers in order to remain alive and effective in the human intestinal tract. The first barrier is gastric juice, the second is bile. These barriers destroy all bacteria killing most of the microorganisms which invade the human intestinal tract. Live lactic acid bacteria called, Lactobacili Casei Shirota, is actually good bacteria isolated in the human intestinal tract. The Lactobacili Casei Shirota is resistant to gastric acid and bile, and thus are able to reach the intestines alive. Once in the intestines they keep a healthy balance of good and bad bacteria, thus promoting intestinal health. Drinking fermented milk or yogurt drinks that contains live lactic acid bacteria called, Lactobacili help prevent intestinal disorders like diarrhea, constipation and other diseases.