The End =/

As the last days of my Microbiology come, my heart saddens. I will not denied it was a tough class since there was a lot of work to get done but, the many things learned will remain with throughout the rest of your life. I've learn things from what is are different types of microorganisms to how can bacteria infect a human and so on. The study cases help me live a hospital experience without being in the hospital :). This class has made a positive impact in my life since every where I go I link it somehow. From going to the bathroom and eating to when I see someone sick or when I get a cut. There are microbes all EVERYWHERE so I'm constantly reminded of this class and the many thing learned.

Sharing..

A few weekends ago, when I went home for a several days, I had a wonderful conversation with one of close friend. He explained to me that he for some weird reason he has reason he has been having a constant cold and high fevers. I wondered to my self, well  if he is sick why doesn't he go to the hospital? I guess he read my mind because without me even asking he said, "... and don't even think of telling to go to the doctor because I don't think is that serious and I just simply hate doctors." I was shocked the way he came at me about it as if he knew what I was thinking. Then I explained to him that it can be several things such as allergies, a simple cold or a serious infection that it's just starting. He might some strong medication to help his body fight whatever pathogen it's trying to fight. If it was a serious illness and it gets worse he will be in serious problems. Somehow, I managed to convince him to go to the hospital to get checked up since he was drinking Tylenol (for the fever) and Robitussin ( for the cold) and it was not going away. It felt good being able to explain to someone thing about their body that they didn't understand.

What are the antigen presenting cells?

Before answering the question, do you even know what is an antigen? Well, if don't know then I'll tell you but if you did let me refresh your memory. In immunology, an antigen is a foreign substance in the the body that produces an immune response. Now that we defined what is an antigen, lets get to business. There three types of antigen presenting cells: dendritic cell, macrophages and B cells. Dendritic cells form part of the mammalian immune system and their function is to process antigen material and present it on the surface to other cells in the immune system. Macrophages are matured monocytes and their function is ingest foreign material, such antigens, through the process of phagocitation. B cells are part of the lymphocytes white blood cells and their function is to generate antibodies for specific antigens. Those are the three antigen presenting cells along with their functions.

Gram- positive bacteria :)

Staphylococcus

The first picture to your are bacteria called Staphylococcus, which are facultative anaerobic prokaryotes whose spherical cells are usually clustered in grapelike arrangements.

Enterococcus

 The Enterococcus bacterium is a normal member of the intestinal microbiota that can cause nosocomial bacteremia, endocarditis, and wound infections.

Bacillus cereus

Bacillus cereus is a soil-dwelling, Gram-positive, rod-shaped, beta hemolytic bacterium which produces toxins. This bacterium causes food poisoning.

Streptococcus

The general definition for all the species of Streptococcus is that they are a diverse assemblage of Gram-positive cocci arranged in pairs or chains, as shown in the picture above.

How many types of immunoglobulin are in a human's Immune System?

First of let's star by defining Immonuglobulins, these are any of a class of proteins present in the serum and cells of the immune system, that function as antibodies. There are 5 types of immunoglobulins and these are: 

               • Immunoglobulin M (IgM) is the third most common antibody class and the predominant  

                 antibody produced first during a primary humoral immune response.

              •  Immunoglobulin G (IgG) is the predominant antibody class found in the bloodstream and  

                 the primary defender against invading bacteria.

              •  Immunoglobulin A (IgA) is the antibody class most commonly associated with various 

                 body secretions, including tears and milk. IgA pairs with a secretory component to form 

                 secretory IgA.

              •  Immunoglobulin E (IgE) is the signal antibody molecule that triggers the release of cell-

                 damaging molecules onto parasites, particularly parasitic worms.

              •  Immunoglobulin D (IgD) is a membrane-bound antibody molecule found in some animals as 

                 a B cell receptor.

The immunoglobulins that is activated depends on the type of pathogen that enters the body.

Adding some dirty to your diet

The article "Dirtying Up Our Diet" by Jeff D. Leach made me think about the dirt my mom would find on the pieces of lettuce when I didn't wash them right. My mom would scream at me for not cleaning it right but, according to this article leaving a little bit of dirt on the greens is not that bad. This generation is becoming germ-phobic which at the long run is not to good for our immune system since it is not being expose to foreign organism, making it weaker. There has been a tremendous increase in allergies and autoimmune disorders during the past years. Leach, along with several researchers recommend to return to our old habits and reconnect to some "old friends" in order to build stronger immune systems.

The article link is below:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/21/opinion/lets-add-a-little-dirt-to-our-diet.html?ref=microbiology&_r=0

Eating Bacteria

While looking through the internet I came across an interesting article titled "Better Eating, Thanks to Bacteria" by Sandor Ellix Katz. It caught my attention immediately as soon as I saw the title. Katz love fermented foood, such as, sauerkraut, kimchi, you name it. Something I found really interesting about this article was that I had no idea that people would eat mold. While Katz was at home he invented a lot of new recipes, specially one that he learned from the Cherokee people. The food came out so good that he decided to share it with the chef of a restaurant called Momofuku Noodle Bar. Excitingly they combined new things creating new kind of food plate such as, mold and beans, mold and pine nuts, etc. Katz commented about fermentation, "There’s no denying that fermentation has drastically expanded the spectrum of what’s available to the human palate". Fermentation did broaden the spectrum. 

If you want to read the article here is the link:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/19/dining/fermentation-guru-helps-chefs-find-new-flavors.html?pagewanted=2&n=Top/News/Science/Topics/Microbiology&_r=0

Microbial Control

Most people see microbes as bad organisms but, in reality not all microbes are bad. Some microbes are help such as the one in our intestines. Microbes can be controlled, there are 5 was to control microbes. The first one is Sterilization- killing all microbes. Sterilization simply means to kill ALL microbe, without exception. Another way to control microbes is with Disinfection- the use of chemicals to kill, inactivate, destroy or limit growth. Disinfection is typically used in inanimate objects. Sanitation simply means the removal of pathogens. One of most recommended one is Degerming- this means physically removing microbes, such as, washing your hands.  Last but not least, Antiseptic is using chemical or antibiotics to limit growth, inactivate, laminate, etc.

Hand Sanitizer gift

I have two precious nieces that mean the world to me, one is 8 yrs old and the other one is 4 yrs old. Jelainy is the 8 yrs old one and she is in 3rd grade. Since she is in school I thought it would be a good idea to talk to her about the benefits of washing her hands with soap and using hand sanitizer. After hours of playing, hide and seek and other games, I told my niece I was very tired and it was time for a break. So during that break I decided to talk to her about why she should wash her hands. We sat down in the couch and I told her that after playing all those games and touching the floor and many more other things our hands were dirty, they had germs. She did not know what germs were so I explained it to her and told her that germs can get her sick. While we were talking I took her to the bathroom and we washed our hands together. I also bought her a small bottle of hand sanitizer and gave it to her. She was very excited and promised me to that she was going to wash her hands and use the hand sanitizer often specially after using the bathroom.

Red blood cells and a Virus

Out of all the types of microorganisms I would like to refer to three today. First one is bacteria, which are prokaryotes, living things that are neither plants nor animals, but belong to a group all by themselves. Typically they have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals. Another microorganism is a virus as seen in the picture above in purple. A virus is an infective agent that typically consists of a nucleic acid molecule in a protein coat, is too small to be seen by light microscopy, and is able to multiply only within the living cells of a host. Last, microorganism is a fungi which can be unicellular, multicellular, or syncytial spore-producing organisms feeding on organic matter, including molds, yeast, mushrooms, and toadstools.

have you ever wonder?

Have you ever wonder what temperature do bacteria or any other microorganism will grow in? Well, I did and surely I am not the only one that have asked herself that question. This in my microbiology class I learned that different organisms may grow in different kind of temperature. The first kind of microorganism I will discuss are Psycrophiles which simply mean microorganism that require temperatures of below 20 degrees Celsius  There are also Mesophiles which are microorganism that grow best in temperature ranging between 20-40 degrees Celsius. Mesophiles are the one that are most likely to grow in humans. Thermophiles are the ones that require  temperature above 45 degrees Celsius. Finally, Hyperthermophiles require temperature above 80 degrees Celsius.

Is microbiology important for a nursing major?

While thinking through the question, why is microbiology important for someone that will become a nurse, helped me realize that diseases are something a nurse deals with on a daily basis. Thinking about the things I learn in my microbiology class and I understood that is preparing me for my nursing career since I'm learning about bacteria's, virus and other microorganism that may cause diseases. Especially the case studies help you analyze scenarios that you may encounter in your career.

Structures of a Prokaryotic Cell

Prokaryotic cells are cells that do not have a true nucleus. Prokaryotic cells Have Glycocalyx, Flagella and Ribosomes. Glycocalyx is a sticky subtance around the cell, something like a sugar cup. Flagellas are a long structure that extend beyond the surface of the cell and the glycocalyx and propel a cell to the environment. Ribosomes are found in both prokaryotic and Eukaryotic cells and are the sites of protein synthesis in cells.

Did you know?

 When liquids such as milk are heated to a temperature slightly below boiling and held there for a set amount of time to eliminate the most harmful bacteria is called pasteurization. This process was named after Louis Pasteur since he was the first one to recognize it around 1864. Spontaneous generation is the theory that life can spontaneously form from nonliving material, which Pasteur disapproved. He was part of the germ theory which states that all contagious diseases are caused by microorganisms. Louis Pasteur was born on 1822 and died on 1895.