Question

Compare and contrast the GI tract, skin and respiratory tract with respect to microbial load.

Answer 1

	Gastro Intestinal Tract	Respiratory Tract	Skin
Organisms	1.Stomach – Lactobacilli 2.Small Intestine – Enterococci 3.Large Intestine - Colon bacilli, Staphylococci, Enterococcus feacalis, Peptococcus	1.Nostrils -Staphylococcus epidermidis, Corynebacteria, Staphylococcus aureus 2.Pharynx – Streptococci, Gram negative cocci	Staphylococcu aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis. Corynebacteria, Streptococci, Anerobes, Peptostreptococci, Yeast
	The composition of the flora varies based on the diet, age and culture	Lower respiratory tract is free of microorganisms	2 sqm of skin
	Meat eaters – High proteolytic bacteriodes and less coliforms Compared to vegeterians	May be infected by pathogens like H.Influenzae and S.Pneumoniae due to damage of the epithelium	To eliminate non-resident microorganism skin should maintain low pH, fatty acid and lysozyme