Flora Normal in

Humans
Oleh :

Efrida Warganegara

Introduction
Microoragnism

(parasites or pathogens)
where their presence in the body is
often associated with pathological
changes and they are rarely found in
healthy individuals identification of
these m.o. is important indication of
actual or potential disease state

The

other organisme (in this chapter)

may cause diasease under certain
circumstances :
a) Newborn; b) Stressed; c)
Traumatized, or

Introduction
Many

of this form what is termed

the indigenous or normal
flora of the body, a collection of
spesies routinely in the normal,
healthy individual
Some of this species are
positively benefecial to the host
M.O. that benefit from this
association without harming the
host are referred to as

Introduction
Term

flora is used because the majority

of the m.o. are bacteria.
Antibiotic therapi can eliminated normal
flora, but is not possible to eliminate the
normal flora of the skin or intestine
antibiotica can drastically reduce their
number to a minimum
The host may then be overun by
introduce patogens or by overgrowth of
m.o. normally present in small number

Commensalism
The

normal flora (commensals) is aquired

rapidly during and shortly after birth and
changes continously throughout life.
It has been estimated that human have
approximately 1013 cells in the body and
something like 1014 bacteria associated
with them, the majority in the large
bowel.
Virus, fungi and protozoa can also be
found in healthy individuals, although
these form only a minor component of
the total population or resident organism

Commensalism
Before

birth the fetus is

essentially in a steril
environment, but at delivery m.o.
come into contact with the infant
Some of these m.o. are derived
from the mother or others who
come into contact with the infant
Constituent organism present at
any given time reflect the age,
nutrition and environmet of the

Commensalism
Most

m.o. are transient paserby that are

destroyed by conditions in the host, but others
establish themselves and produce
microcolonies colonized the host
microflora established
Not all area of the body are occupied by
commensal spesies
There are appreciable numbers of m.o. in the :
Upper Resp. Tract, lower intestinal tract, and
skin
Esophagus, urinary tract and stomach contain
few m.o.
The blood, spinal fluid, urine and endothelial
tissues are normally steril

Commensalism
Microflora

remain with the host for life, with

only minor changes resulting disease,
diatery alteration, or hormonal changes

The

factors that influence the kind and

number of m.o. at any body site are :
1. The availabiliy or unavailability oxygen
2. The availability of appropriate receptor
sites for attachment
3. The pH of the host site
4. The availability of nutrient
5. The influence exerted by other m.o. at
the site, and
6. The immunological respone of the host to

Many

Advantages of Flora
Normal

of the flora normal may be important in

maintaining the health of the host, for
example :
1) some m.o. in intestinal capable sinthesizing
vitamin (pathothenic acid, riboflavin, B12, vit.
k) certain vitamine deficiencies in human
diet can be remedied by bacterial vitamin
synthesis in the inteswtinal tract ;
2) some flora normal produce metabolic
product that are effective in preventing
invasion by parasites (flora normal in intestinal
tarct produce fatty acid that inhibit ingested
bacteria that attempt to colonize the host

Advantages of Flora
Normal
3) Gut bacteria release a number
of factors with antibacterial
activity (bacteriocin, colicin) and
metabolic waste product, which,
together with lack of available
oxygen, prevent the
establishment of other species
4) Vaginal lactobacilli maintain an
acid environment that
supresses growth of other
organism

Disadvantages of Flora normal

Disadvantages

of Flora normal lie primarily

in the potential for spread into previously
streile parts of the body.
This may happen under a variety of
circumstance : when intestine perforated or
skin is broken, during extraction of teeth, E.
coli from the perianal skin ascend the urethra
Overgrowth by potentially pathogenic
members of the normal flora can occur
when the composition of the flora normal
changes (after antibiotics), when the local
environment chabges (increases in stomach
or vaginal pH) or when the immune system
becomes ineffective (AIDS)
Under these conditions, potential pathogens

A). Distibution of flora normal

Commensals in Intestinal
Tract
Many

m.o. can enter the intestinal tract

by ingestion of food and drink
The density of m.o. increases as one
passes along the GIT from stomach to
the large intestine
Stomach contents harbour only
transient organism, the acidic pH
providing an unfavorable environment
and forming an effective barrier.
However, the gastric mucosa may be
colonized by acid tolerant lactobacilli
and streptococcus

Commensals in Intestinal
Tract

The

upper intestine is only lightly

colonized (104 organism per gram) but
population increase markedly in the
ilium, where streptococci, lactobacilli,
enterobacteria and Bacteroides spp.
may all be present
In the large bowel bacterial number are
very high (estimated at 10 11 per gram)
and many different species can be
found. The vast majority (95-99%) are
anaerobes, Bacteroides being especially
common and a major component of
fecal material

B). Commensals in Intestinal

Tract

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