Month: June 2017

As head of a funding agency, I would like to see more funding go to research done to better understand how different modes of birth impact the gut microbiota, which in turn impacts an individual’s immune system. This is the topic I chose to write about in my final essay, and I find that it is important to research more because many women are choosing to have cesarean sections done which have been correlated to higher rates of autoimmune diseases and various allergies. From the research conducted by the means of these funds, the scientific world could begin to better understand how proper gut microbial populations are directly correlated to healthy immune system development. By better understanding this concept, more pregnant women in the future may choose to do vaginal delivery (if they are able to) instead of opting to do cesarean birth because of data from the this much needed research. This would not only be beneficial for the infant, but better for our healthcare system and our economy as a whole.

Part one:

• H. pylori and gastic ulcers/ gastic cancer
• Various autoimmune disorders triggered by gut dysbiosis
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Cardiovascular disease from an altered oral microbiome
• Obesity
• Potentially Crohn’s disease
• Various gastrointestinal diseases
• Allergies to food and environment
• Side effects of lactose intolerance

Part two:

Looking back on my writing exercise #1 post, it is obvious to me that I have learned a lot about how microbes influence human health over the course of this class. At the start of the term, the only thing I knew was that microorganisms live in our gut and are important to help digest our food. Other than that, my knowledge about the microbes harbored in and on our bodies was very limited. The major topics I will take away from BHS323 are H. pylori and gastric cancer, and the influence that vaginal vs. cesarean birth can have on a persons immune system through the development of their gut microbiota. Overall, this course has better prepared me for my career as a scientist, both with more knowledge about microbes and also critically reading scientific literature.

• Can experiments detect differences that matter?

This aspect of a scientific article is important to interpreting a scientific article because if not for a purpose that impact many in the community, what is the article trying to accomplish? In other words, if the research discussed in a piece of scientific writing are insignificant or obvious, then what is the point of researching the topic in the first place? It is important as a reader to identify what matters in an article, particularly the introduction section, in order to have a basic understanding of what will be discussed throughout the article.

• Does the study show causation or correlation?

There is a huge difference between causation and correlation. Correlation involves factors that move and happen together at one single time, and influence the final state of something, and causation is when a factor has a direct implications on the final state of something. For example, there is a correlation relationship between how much schooling someone undergoes and the salary they make at a later age, and an example of causation is being exposed to high pollen counts and sneezing like a maniac. When reading a scientific study, its important to realize the difference between the two and how they effect the final outcomes of experiments. When reading about controversial subjects, this is particularly important because its vital to realize that the difference in causation vs correlation is huge. Correlation does not equal causation.

• What is the mechanism?

When interpreting scientific articles, it is good for the reader to have basic background knowledge of the mechanism of how the scientific subject works. This is often explained in the introduction section of an article and sets the tone for the rest of the article. If the reader doesn’t understand the mechanisms of how the scientific topic works, they may have a difficult time interpreting the results of the experiment.

• How much do experiments reflect reality?

Being able to relate the topic of a scientific article to reality could help a reader better understand the worldly implications of the data presented in the paper. If the experiment does not mimic real world situations, the reader could be swayed to side with one side of a controversial topic over the other side’s argument.

• Could anything else explain the results?

This aspect of interpreting scientific articles kind of goes back to the differences between correlation and causation and how factors influence outcomes in many different ways. Thinking of alternate ways to prove or disprove a topic in science is how we move forward in research and begin to learn new things about the world around us. When interpreting articles, I think it is healthy to have faith in the research done, but also to question the research in a way. In my experience, this keeps the mind open and eager to read alternative research on a topic, especially when said topic is controversial.

Based off of what we have learned in the past weeks in this class, I think it fair to say that microorganisms in and on the body play a major role in overall health. I have learned though personal research for my final essay that the gut microbiota composition can influence immune health and in some people, the absence of certain microbes can lead to an increased risk of autoimmune disorders. That being said, gut microbiota could potentially influence the brain and mental state of an individual based off of its composition leading to autoimmune disease. Also, there could be a correlation between certain microbes and a person’s mental alertness. For example, if a person were to be deficient in an essential type of microbe responsible in the aid of carbohydrate breakdown, that person may feel more fatigued and less alert throughout the day than an individual containing that microbe.

Mental health could influence gut microbiota based off of factors like stress. Based off of my learning in my anatomy and physiology class, a person under chronic stress undergoes chemical changes in the body like an increase in the hormone called cortisol. This spike in a hormone could potentially alter gut microbiota populations since it’s long term impacts on the body include things like increased or decreased appetite, raised blood pressure, lowered immune response, and over or under sleeping. All of these things, I think, could have some indirect impact on microbial communities in the gut.