Gut Bacteria: How Can It Affect Weight and Health? Essay examples -- ga

Enteric bacteria are major microorganisms that colonise human’s gastrointestinal tract- a long tube containing specialised sections such as the mouth, oesophagus, stomach, intestines, rectum and the anus. Gut bacteria make up approximately 95 percent of the total cells in the body, with the colon containing the densest microbial communities (Gibson, Rastall and Fuller 2008: 52). Human gastrointestinal tract consists of 100 different prokaryotic species, and with two bacterial species, firmicutes and bacteroicidetes dominating them (Brooker et al. 2011: 559). The general make up of enteric bacteria is influenced by various factors including: microbial species obtained from birth, use of antibiotics, dietary intake and genetic material. Diet plays a major role in the gut environment and, changes in dietary nutrients such as, carbohydrates, fats and proteins can have a huge impact on the composition of gut bacteria. The digestion of food in the gastrointestinal tract is vital in humans, however, humans do not code for all the enzymes required to breakdown non-digestible substances and so they rely on enteric bacteria to degrade: resistant starch, non digestible carbohydrates and mucin (Scott et al. 2013:52-69). This essay will focus on how gut bacteria can affect weight and, the mutualistic relationship between gut bacteria and the human in maintaining normal health. Gut bacteria keep humans healthy by stimulating the digestive process within the large intestines. In order for nutrients to be successfully absorbed in the colon, non-digestible carbohydrates are degraded by beneficial gut microbial. One example of an anaerobically respiring bacterium which dominates the large intestine is bacteroide thetaiotaomicron. This bacteri... ... from [29 August 2013] Willey,J., Sherwood, L., Woolverton, C. (2011) Prescott’s Microbiology. New York:McGraw-Hill, 729 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1043661812002083). Willey,J., Sherwood, L., Woolverton, C. (2011) Prescott’s Microbiology. New York:McGraw-Hill, 729 Cani, P., Possemiers, S., Wiele, T., Guiot, Y., Everard, A., Rottier, O., Geurts, L., Naslain, D., Neyrinck, A., Lambert, D., Muccioli, G., Delzenne, N. (2009) ‘Changes in gut microbiota control inflammation in obese mice through a mechanism involving GLP-2-driven improvement of gut permeability’ NCBI [online] 58 (8), 1091–1103. Available from [11 november 2011] Willey,J., Sherwood, L., Woolverton, C. (2011) Prescott’s Microbiology. New York:McGraw-Hill, 756