Pathogenic and Non-Pathogenic Microorganisms
Pathogenic and Non-Pathogenic Microorganisms
Learning Objectives Covered
LO 01.03 – Define non-pathogenic microorganisms and discuss 3 examples.
LO 01.02 – Name the 4 types of pathogenic (disease-causing) microorganisms and list an example of each one.
Career Relevancy
Every day, you’ll work with patients with infections and communicable diseases. But you’ll also engage with patients who are suffering from other diseases—illnesses that may not be caused by pathogens. And although pathogens are microorganisms, not all microorganisms are pathogens; this idea will be key as you continue to practice the techniques of asepsis. As you encounter patients with various symptoms, you will need the skills to recognize whether pathogenic microorganisms are the source of their condition. But in order to provide comprehensive and informed care, you’ll also need to know about the microorganisms that don’t cause disease, and may even be beneficial to the body.
Background
microscope
Luca has hit the ground running at his new job. And although he’s discovering that there are a few gaps in his knowledge, he’s working hard to learn new skills and concepts to get himself up to speed. His supervisor, Penny, has been helpful in showing him techniques of asepsis, and he’s doing his own research on equipment, processes, and important concepts around creating disease-free medical settings.
Penny has asked Luca to teach himself a bit about compound microscopes because she wants him to take a look at some skin cells from a recent patient. As he’s examining the tissue at various magnifications, he begins to wonder: what bacteria might be present on this skin sample? After all, he knows that the skin is a major carrier of germs and other contaminants. But he also knows that the body is home to many neutral, and even beneficial, bacteria. During his break, he starts to investigate.
Much to his surprise, Luca finds that there are many non-pathogenic microorganisms in the world. Non-pathogenic microorganisms are microscopic agents that do not cause disease or infection. While many of them are bacteria, they can also be viruses and fungi. Unlike pathogens, which carry disease, these microorganisms either have no effect on the host or are actually integral to the host’s survival. For humans, these microorganisms may exist on the skin, as Luca suspected, or they can live inside the body, like in specific organs or parts of the digestive system. In fact, he’s shocked to discover that the amount of bacteria in the human body weighs the same amount as the brain: 3 pounds!
So, what are all these microorganisms? And what do they do? Luca continues down his research rabbit hole and finds a few general examples.
Gastrointestinal bacteria. Luca finds out that the human body has hundreds of kinds of gut bacteria, which help the body perform many functions, from digesting food to regulating metabolism to supporting the immune system. They work alongside non-pathogenic viruses and fungi, and together these agents form a microbiota or microbiome, which is an ecological, symbiotic community of microorganisms that exists in all multicellular organisms. (However, every microbiota is different.) These microorganisms work together and rely on each other to help the organism survive.
Non-pathogenic viruses. Although viruses are typically thought of as harmful across the board, organisms contain many viruses that actually help with development and bodily activities. The human GI tract has many viruses, and other organisms—particularly plants—have helpful viruses. Additionally, there are viruses that can be pathogenic for other animals but do not affect humans.
Healthy fungi. Humans are carriers of many different types of fungi. But one of the most common fungal microbes found naturally in the human body is yeast, and it’s found on the skin, in the intestines, and even in the mouth.
Luca finds this helpful video (7:38 min) that further explores the relationship between humans and beneficial bacteria.
After taking a deep dive into the types of non-pathogenic organisms, Luca’s curiosity is officially piqued. He learned about pathogens in school, but he wants to revisit them now that he has officially joined the workforce. He’s hearing terms and ideas thrown around at the clinic, and he’s eager to bridge the gap between his education and his professional experience. It’s all applicable—he just has to figure out how it all fits together.
Pathogenic microorganisms, Luca remembers, are microbes that cause disease and infection. They can fall into one of four categories: fungi, bacteria, viruses, and parasites. These microorganisms are contagious and typically transmitted from human to human, insect to human, or some environmental source, like food or water. Pathogenic microorganisms cause infectious diseases of all kinds, which can severely compromise or debilitate a patient or healthcare worker. Sometimes, these diseases can lead to death.
Luca explores a bit more, aiming to fully understand each of these types of pathogens:
Fungi: These microorganisms have a nucleus, and pathogenic fungi often fall into one of two categories: yeast and mold. One type of yeast, Candida albicans, is the most common cause of yeast infections in human genitalia.
Bacteria: Microscopic organisms without a nucleus, and there are an estimated 2 billion types of bacteria in the world. There are many disease-carrying bacteria in the world, such as some E. coli and Salmonella.
Viruses: A microscopic agent that infects and reproduces inside the cells of a living host. In fact, viruses cannot live without a host. There are many pathogenic viruses, including the influenza viruses and herpes simplex virus.
Parasites: A microorganism that lives on or inside a host and survives by taking nutrients from the host at the host’s expense. Pathogenic parasites cause infection, and there are many kinds, including protozoa and protists. For instance, malaria is caused by the Plasmodium parasite.
Resources and References
How Bacteria Rule Over Your Body – The Microbiome. (2017, October 5). Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/VzPD009qTN4 (Links to an external site.)
Non-Pathogenic Organisms. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.uwo.ca/hr/form_doc/health_safety/doc/procedures/phac_nonpathogenic_organisms.pdf (Links to an external site.)
Pathogenic Bacteria: What Distinguishes a Pathogen from a Non-Pathogen? (n.d.) iBiology. Retrieved on from https://www.ibiology.org/microbiology/pathogenic-bacteria-distinguishes-pathogen-non-pathogen/ (Links to an external site.)
Janeway, C. A. and P. Travers, M. Walport, et al. (2001). Immunobiology: The Immune System in Health and Disease, 5th edition. New York: Garland Science. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK27114/ (Links to an external site.)
Microbes and disease. (n.d.). Microbiology Online. Retrieved from https://microbiologyonline.org/about-microbiology/microbes-and-the-human-body/microbes-and-disease (Links to an external site.)
What You Need to Know About Pathogens and the Spread of Disease. (n.d.). Healthline. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/what-is-a-pathogen (Links to an external site.)
Prompt
Not everything that is microscopic is pathogenic. There are many microbes in and around the human body that don’t threaten us, and they may even help our bodies work better.
Throughout the day you encounter non-pathogenic microorganisms. As a healthcare worker, you are concerned about them becoming pathogenic. What risks could you face as a healthcare worker and what can you do to prevent spreading them?
For your citation, you might use articles that show examples of non-pathogenic microorganisms that live inside the human body and perform specific functions. You can also find articles from experts that discuss microbes that are not always dangerous but that can become pathogenic.
You will also complete two peer responses. In each peer response, you will reply to your peers’ posts with thoughtful, substantive ideas. Consider answering some of these questions: Is there anything your peer missed or overlooked? Are there other ideas to consider? Is there a current event or episode that you can bring into the conversation? Expand and deepen the discussion—introduce new concepts or controversies, add thoughtful and insightful questions, and make new connections to your own experiences or the material.
Your initial and reply posts should work to develop a group understanding of this topic. Challenge each other. Build on each other. Always be respectful, but discuss this and figure it out together.
Reply Requirements
You must submit:
1 main post of 150+ words with 1 in-text citation and reference (follow the Institution Writing Guidelines)
2 follow-up posts (replies) of 50+ words
Responses can be addressed to both your initial thread and other threads but must be:
Your own words (no copy and paste)
Unique (no repeating something you already said)
Substantial in nature, which means there has to be some meat to the reply not something like: “Good job, Rasha, your post is excellent.” A substantial post will do one of the following:
Extend the conversation deeper,
Challenge the post being responded to, or
Take the conversation in a career-relevant tangent
Remember that part of the discussion grade is submitting on time and using proper grammar, spelling, etc. You’re training to be a professional—write like it.
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