Mouth, Throat and Skin Normal Microbiota

While microbiotas are often assumed to be uniformly distributed within the host organ, there is a diverse variety of biofilms and microbiotas in distinct locations such as the skin, mouth, and throat (Wade, 2013). The natural microbiota is a species of microbes that are commonly found inside the body. An individual’s natural microbiota is an important part of the immune system because it often prevents pathogenic microbe colonization of the host. Different kinds of bacteria colonize distinct niches in an individual_x0092_s body owing to the changes in PH, oxygen levels, levels of moisture, body secretions, and atmospheric pressure (Gong et al., 2014). Distinct kinds of media should be utilized to culture the numerous human microbiotas. This lab report explores the procedures for testing the normal microbiota of the mouth, throat and the skin.

1. MICROBIOTA OF THE MOUTH

There bacteria in the mouth of individuals that make up the biofilm and are cariogenic since they tend to cause dental caries. They comprise the Streptococcus mutants, Actinomyces odontolyticus and the Lactobacillus acidophilus (Wade, 2013). The Snyder Test is utilized to determine an individual’s vulnerability to dental caries centered on the acid production presumed to be the outcome of lactobacilli growth on the teeth or in the other mouth areas.

PROCEDURE

i. Obtain a small beaker or sterile test tube and collect roughly ¼ to ½ inch of saliva in the small beaker or the test tube.

ii. Then, obtain a melted Snyder Agar deep tube which has been tempered in a 45 Celsius degrees water bath.

iii. Aseptically pipette 0.2 milliliters of saliva into the tube whereas the Snyder Agar deep tube is still liquefied.

iv. Afterward, place the cap loosely on the tube and roll the tube gently between the palms of the hands and allow it to solidify.

v. Finally, incubate the Snyder tube at a temperature of 37 °C for duration of forty-eight hours.

2. NORMAL MICROBIOTA OF THE THROAT AND SKIN

Internal organs such as the brain, blood and the muscles of health humans do not contain microorganisms; nevertheless, the surface tissues that include the mucous membranes and the skin are in incessant contact with the environmental microbes and become easily colonized by particular bacteria (Chen & Tsao, 2013).

PROCEDURE

i. Utilizing a permanent marker, divide the blood plate, Mueller-Hinton-Tellurite (MHT) plate and Mannitol Salt Agar (MSA) plate in half so that every lab partner will utilize half of every plate. Then, label the halves with your initials or names.

ii. There is the need to swab an individual’s throat or the throat of your lab partner with a sterile swab and rub onto the suitable part of the blood agar plate in a pattern that is zig-zag. Afterward, there is the need to switch roles by swabbing the other individual’s throat with fresh sterile swabs and then rubbing onto the other halves of the blood and the chocolate agar plates. Next, tape the plates and put in an Anaeropak box with an activated carbon dioxide generator.

iii. Swab any place on your skin or nostril utilizing a fresh swab and rub onto your half of the MSA plate. The lab partner needs to do likewise.

iv. Swab your ears or center of your palms utilizing a fresh swab and then rub onto your half of the MHT agar plate. The lab partner should do likewise.

v. Then, swab any place in the milieu that may include toilet seat, bathroom door, water fountains and door handle and rub onto a Sabouraud agar plate. There is the need to moisten your swab with the sterile saline before taking your environmental sample. Besides, it is appropriate to divide the plate in half and get two environmental samples if necessary. There is the need to repeat the step by inoculating the environmental specimens onto a nutrient agar plate.

vi. Afterward, tape all the plates on both sides and invert and then incubate at a temperature of thirty-seven Celsius degrees for forty eighty hours.

vii. Ultimately, immediately discard all the utilized swabs in the biohazard waste.

References

Gong, H., Shi, Y., Zhou, X., Wu, C., Cao, P., Xu, C., ... & Zhou, L. (2014). Microbiota in the Throat and Risk Factors for Laryngeal Carcinoma. Applied and environmental microbiology, 80(23), 7356-7363.

Chen, Y. E., & Tsao, H. (2013). The skin microbiome: current perspectives and future challenges. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 69(1), 143-155.

Wade, W. G. (2013). The oral microbiome in health and disease. Pharmacological research, 69(1), 137-143.