Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Haley Reading Group: Rinku Patel's "Bugged"



[The Best American Science and Nature Writing (2016)]

By Rae'Jean Spears

Rinku Patel’s article “Bugged” focuses on microbes. Patel highlights Jonathan Eisen, a researcher who suggests that microbes aren’t all bad and we are doing more harm than good by secluding ourselves in completely sanitized living spaces. Ultimately, the article encourages thinking about the viewpoint on germs and the necessity of some sanitation methods presently used in America.

Patel’s simple description of germs is interesting. Patel writes Eisen as expressing, “Sometimes germs are good, sometimes they’re bad….nothing is good or bad all the time” (234). This is especially interesting as the human race is often conditioned from birth to believe that germs are inherently bad.

After reading Patel’s article, at what point did you decide whether microbes are or are not a necessary part of everyday life? How did that passage influence your thinking? Please provide a page number citation.

60 comments:

Unknown said...

I decided microbes were a necessary part of everyday life on the bottom of page 236 where Patel writes about how as hard as he (she?) tried to protect their son from ever getting sick, he inevitably became very allergic. Patel states that, "the devastating irony is that the rise of diseases of inflammation in children...is most likely not caused by picking up pathogens we fear. Rather it's the result of not being exposed to the microbes that are key to maturing immunity" (236). This observation makes a lot of sense to me because we were given an immune so that we could fight off bad pathogens and/or diseases but how can our system do that if it's never been exposed to what it's supposed to be protecting us from?

Jazsmine Towner said...

When I first started reading the article, I was thinking to myself: When are germs ever a good thing? Our world has modeled us to be afraid of germs, we are supposed to wash our hands a million times of day, cover our mouths when coughing, and stay away from those who are sick. So when I seen in the article “The trillions of microorganisms we harbor in our bodies, collectively known as our microbiome, outnumber human cells 10 to 1… existing as a sort of sixth human super organ whose function is linked to digesting our meals, preventing infection, and possibly even influencing our emotions and moods” (Patel 232). When I read this statement I was shocked to see how much these “nasty” germs played a part in our lives and in the function of our body. Because of this, I no longer think that all germs are bad, but some are actually here to help us function, which is amazing.
-Jazsmine Towner

Crystal R. said...

After reading Patel's article, I decided that microbes are a necessary part of everyday life. In the passage, Patel says, "Altogether, they weigh ip to twice as much as the human brain...our emotions and moods,"(232). Then on page 233, Eisen talks about germ-free mice that were delivered by c-sectiion and raised in sterile chambers. He said, "They are seriously messed-up animals" that have "inflamed lungs and colons...weird social tactics." Although I knew that microbes are necessary for everyday life, this passage did assure my thoughts and opinions that microbes are essential to building a good system and immunity to certain things.

Deborrah B. said...

Having an interest in science for so long, I have known for a while that in many cases microbes are very beneficial to our everyday life. On page 232 Patel talks about how microbes make up 60% of Earth's biomass and how we are full of microbes that help us do things like digest food. On the next page he talks about the "germ-free" mice that were created and how messed up their bodies were because they didn't have any microbes. Without microbes we would have trouble digesting food and would get sick more often because the good microbes that keep bad ones in check would no longer be there.
Deborrah B.

J'kolbe K. said...

What changed my thinking about germs was the comparison made on page 231-232. "Eisen compares this practice to the overuse of antibiotics in medicine: wipe out the natural balance of good bugs, and you might not like the organisms that survive." having studied the overuse of antibiotics and its negative affects, this makes me less afraid to get outside and get my hands dirty

Kyla Tinsley said...

I have already had discussions and thoughts about how as society we have become too hygienic and microbes are important to our lives, and this reading reinforces my thoughts. This was especially reinforced with this passage: "Eisen compares this practice to the overuse of antibiotics in medicine: Wipe out the natural balance of good bugs, and you might not like the organisms that survive. (231-232)" By destroying the balance between microbes by being extremely hygenic, we are making ourselves vulnerable to dangerous illnesses and diseases instead of being exposed to minor strands and becoming immune to major strands.

-Kyla T.

Brianna Reed said...

I thought that it was very interesting on the first page when Eisen compared the practice of de-germing homes to that of overuse of antibiotics (231). The part of the chapter that actually influenced my opinion on this matter came later on page 235 when it is stated that everyone harbors pathogen regardless of the amount of effort put into creating highly antimicrobial environments. They give the example of hospitals and how so many people die from infections picked up in them. As the quote originally mentioned said some germs are good and we need them and some germs are bad. It also mentioned how antimicrobial cleaners assist in creating resistance in microbes which only worsens the problem (234). I feel this chapter offered a unique perspective that most people would not normally consider.

Brandy Collier said...

I found this article very interesting because there is a lot of information about microbes, and their affect on our daily lives, that I did not know. On page 235, it says, "everyone harbors pathogens". This was very interesting to me because I did not know that there were pathogens that were already in the body that we don't know about that are being controlled by other bacteria to keep us from getting sick. Another point on the same page was that hospitals, although they are sterile, can still have pathogens that cause people to get sick during their stay or while they are working.

-Brandy Collier

Jordan R. said...

A part of the article that really made me think was on page 236, "The devastating irony is that the rise of disease of inflammation in children-- often called "modern plagues"--is most likely not caused by picking up the pathogens we fear. Rather it is the result of not being exposed to the microbes that are key to maturing immunity". This is a point that i found quite interesting because I recognize that many families guard there children from germs in that particular way of not introducing them to the healthy microbes that will help their immune systems learn to defend themselves. That reminds me why young adults are so pressed to get their meningitis vaccines before they go off to college their first year, because they will introduced to bacteria they haven't come into contact with; a new environment that they need to be protected from.

Kaelyn Blunt said...

While reading this article, it became increasingly obvious to me that microbes are so very important to our lives. Microbes are important because as we become more focused on the cleanliness of everything, we are becoming more susceptible to illness. We are not building up resistance to things we are normally exposed to anymore. Microbes are there to do that as we evolve. (232). We would not be able to continue as a species without microbes there to essentially fight for us. So to me, yes, they are so very important to human life.

Aleeya Barrolle said...

The point that I decided whether microbes are a necessary part of everyday life is when microbes were said to be as useful for all of us. "Microbes appear to have prospered by making themselves incredibly useful, and we've gladly given up space in exchange for the vitamins, digestive enzymes, and metabolites they provide" (233). The passage influenced my thinking because now I know that microbes can help regulate my immune system.

Aja J said...

I think the point in the article that really made me realize that microbes are a necessary part of our everyday lives is on page 232 when it was stated that "the trillions of microorganisms we harbor in out bodies" have been linked to "digesting our meals, preventing infection, and possibly even influencing our emotions and moods." I found this point the most interesting because I know that the bacteria in our body can be good for us. On the other hand, if the bacteria in our body gets to a place where is doesn't belong, it can cause an infection within our body. Knowing this, I definitely agree with the point that not all microbes are all good or all bad.

Unknown said...

I've heard that not being exposed to certain germs and bacteria early on can make you more prone to getting the full blown illness. As said on page 236 the women prevented her baby from contact with many germs and it grew very sick. I believe all microbes are useful in some way and we should not try and destroy all the bad ones.



-Andre Valentine

Kenisha Townsend said...

In the beginning of the article I was convinced microbes play a necessary part in our lives. In the article, Eisen mentions how germ-free mice have "inflamed lungs and colons" (p. 233). Due to past biology courses, I already knew some bacteria were beneficial because they serve a positive purpose. Some bacteria fight off diseases and help you more than harm you. Therefore, this passage influenced my thinking by causing me to recall things I've studied by mentioning how germ-free mice were basically more prone to illness and other issues. If they are kept in natural environments then they will likely live a healthier life.

Nia Piggott said...

Patel's article was a topic that I have heard before. It is fascinating how much we were taught that microorganisms are unhealthy for our bodies when now there are studies that show they have benefits. A point in that passage that sold me the idea was on page 236 where it states, "The devastating irony is that the rise of the diseases of inflammation in children often called modern plagues is most likely not caused by picking up pathogen we. rather, it's the result of not being exposed to microbes that key to maturing community." The passage influenced my thinking by furthering the idea I already had on microorganism being good but also bad.

Jeremiah Terrell said...

I decided that microbes were a necessary part of everyday life after reading page 236,where Sandra Bauder talked about the babied horse that was always sick,the mutt horse that never was sick,and the allergic toddler that was raised in a germ-free environment. This passage made me realize that all germs are not bad and trying to protect yourself from all germs increases your chances of being affected by bad germs.

Unknown said...

I am in my second year of pharmacy school and we just finished the Infectious Disease Therapeutics course, so this is still fresh in my mind on what we just covered. The quote that stood out to be was"Eisen compares this practice to the overuse of antibiotics in medicine: wipe out the natural balance of good bugs, and you might not like the organisms that survive." That quote is so extremely true because doctors really do overuse antibiotics when they absolutely should not be using antibiotics to treat conditions. You can actually get a bacterial infection from misusing antibiotics because you've killed all the healthy bacteria, and know you have Clostridium difficile, known as C. diff. Also, the reasons that we have so many different types of antibiotics is because when we misuse them to treat things that should not be used, the bugs and pathogens eventually become resistant to them to where they do work and we have to find new alternatives and eventually, there will not be an alternative treatment because they will all be resistant to them. As a future pharmacist, my job is to make sure that we are using antibiotics the right way and making sure that we don't kill off healthy bacteria as opposed to unhealthy bacteria.

Victoria Wright said...

This passage caught me by surprise when I started reading, just because of the title "Bugged." On page 232, I realized that germs actually are a vital part of life. The fact that "there are more microbes in a teaspoon of soil than there are humans in the world" caused me to ponder on the fact that we need soil in order to have trees, and we need trees in order to have oxygen, which is essential to human life. The fact that "microbes outnumber human cells 10 to 1" shocked me, because without those microbes, we possibly wouldn't exist. Reading through this passage enlightened me and gave me a more open way of thinking about life.

Jasmin Smoot said...

Microbes are a necessary part of life. Just think, there is no possible way of getting rid of germs and pathogens, but somehow we are able to survive centuries. On page 235, the author talked to Jack Gilbert about how even a clean environment like a hospital is infested with germs no matter how “sterile” the employees try to keep it. It’s apart of life.

Tatyana C. said...

I personal tend to use antibiotics and let my immune system build itself up. I fell that if I use antibiotics when I don’t need to they won’t be effective to me when I do. I feel the passage back me up with that belief when it stated,"Eisen compares this practice to the overuse of antibiotics in medicine: Wipe out the natural balance of good bugs, and you might not like the organisms that survive. (231-232)"

Aliyah Johnson said...

Patel says Eisen says “Altogether, they weigh up to twice as much as the human brain,existing as sort of sixth human superorgan whose function is linked to digesting our meals, preventing infection..(232)” this tells me that these microbes are far more advanced than we think, therefore complicated so they could harvest the potential to be helpful to people in the future. They have functions that digest meals which is very powerful and makes me Feel that microbes are sort of a helper germ rather than a nuisance.—Aliyah

Sierra Taylor said...

I decided that microbes are important when the text said, "Or somewhere in Lynch's pile of anonymous DNA could be a clue to a microbe that eliminated my son's remaining allergy, to our cat." If microbes are that powerful, then they are worth investigating more. Researchers would find fascinating information that can lead to revelations and new understanding.

Brandon Nichols said...

Based on the example provided on page 236, i believe that microbes are necessary for life. The author's son was not exposed to many microbes as a child, and therefore experienced severe allergic symptoms. Microbes are essential for human life, from exposure to food digestion. More research needs to be done to see how we can make the microbe war in our favor.

Asher said...

(I am so sorry for the late blog post)

Bugged is actual a story that I've heard before in one of my health classes in high school, but it iterated that microbes are important to our health. Based on the study located on page 237, Lynch feeds young mice meals from germ-rich dogs, which means that these mice build a certain immunity in a way. So the mice become less allergic and more protective. As humans, we have "evolved to be at home with our own set of microbes." Now, I wonder, in some families where parents are clean freaks and try to make sure that their child never gets sits, it this is a good thing or a bad thing. Because, when the child leaves the house or perhaps moves out, will their body be strong enough to handle the microbe filled environments around them?





Erica K. said...

On page 237, he says " my son was not a c-sectiin baby but he did grow up in an apartment that might have been too clean" this means that his baby could never adapt and his immune system could never get stranger because it didn't have to fight off any bacteria. Microbes help our body strengthen and become better at defending us from harm.

Zuriah Harkins said...

After reading the article, there were several points that convinced me that microbes were essential to everyday life. On page 236, Patel stated, "Rather, it's the result of not being exposed to the microbes that are key to maturing immunity." Patel was speaking in reference to how he kept his son in a pretty much germ-free environment which resulted in his son having several allergies. I think the problem is that people assume that all bacteria is bad bacteria, so they try to limit their contact with it all together. This has also caused us to abuse antibacterial products, which was also stated in the article, which only caused bacteria to develop a resistance to them. A better solution would be to find a way to directly attack only harmful bacteria, and to not take action at all until the microbe is actually causing illnesses.

Zuriah H.

gabby said...

I think this article was very interesting, although I don’t have a big interest in science, in particularly germs! I always assumed germs were a bad thing, and never quite envisioned them to be good, or helpful in any way. But, I soon realized that microbes are a necessary part of life on a daily basis. This is seen in the chapter as Patel mentions, “the devastating irony is that the rise of diseases of inflammation in children is most likely not caused by picking up pathogens we fear, Rather it’s the result of not being exposed to the microbes that are key to maturing immunity” (236). It is an interesting concept to understand that we need pathogens in order to become immune to harmful diseases and bacteria, yet if we are never exposed to these such things our bodies are left vulnerable.

Gabrielle Wimes

Anonymous said...

It boggles my mind that anyone thinks it's okay to go "germ-free." Bacteria aren't just "important," they are key in all survival. The fact that anyone thinks "there are no good germs" clearly doesn't understand how biology, ecosystem regulation, and how even just digestion works. The mice and the stories about children that got screwed over just irritate me (233, et al.)...

-Ash (Q. Mason)

Michael Dade said...

My decision was made once I read the bottom of page 236, where Patel said that, "the devastating irony is that the rise of diseases of inflammation in children...is most likely not caused by picking up pathogens we fear. Rather it's the result of not being exposed to the microbes that are key to maturing immunity." (236) This remark resonated the most with me, because it's exactly what I've said to any germaphobe I've met. How can you expect your immune system to protect you if it never gets a chance to see what it is that it's actually protecting you from? Not all germs will kill you, if anything it'll make you stronger.

Joshua Jones said...

On page 236-237, the author mentions that babies who "acquire Lactobacillus" have improved digestion but "babies born by cesarean miss out." This is key for life and interesting. I am lactose-intolerant which makes me question myself. Microbes are important since most of their cells outnumber human cells. They are key to life.

-Joshua J.

JaLeah McKinney said...

On page 233 where the article discusses how the germ-free mice had poor bodily functions and structures (i.e. inflamed colon and lungs) it illustrated the importance of microbes. It immediately made me think of how the body harbors both good and bad bacteria. Antibodies, which play vital roles in our immune system cannot be formed if they don't have a reason to be created (exposure to microbes). This text overall, illustrated how not all microbes are bad as the idea is often portrayed.

Unknown said...

I think this quote is a brilliant anecdote for why we need to protect and appreciate certain bug species: "Eisen compares this practice to the overuse of antibiotics in medicine: Wipe out the natural balance of good bugs, and you might not like the organisms that survive" (231-232). No we don't like them, but bugs are an essential part of our ecosystem.

Jasmine Williams said...

I decided microbes were a good part of everyday life before even reading the passage. When a baby is first born, many parents limit visitors and/or request them to get certain vaccinations before touching their child. However, as the child grows, it's important that they are exposed to different organisms to build up their immune system. Page 232 says, "wipe out the natural balance of good bugs, and you might not like the organisms that survive." Antibiotic resistance is a growing issue and the overuse of antimicrobials is the main cause.

Jasmine Williams

Unknown said...

This essay was extremely intriguing. As we all know, we are all conditioned from a young age to stay away from germs. Germs = bad. Hand santizer, hand washing, lysol wipes, abstaining from using public restrooms etc., are all ways people try to avoid germs. But Patel writes, "The devastating irony is that the rise of disease of inflammation in children-- often called "modern plagues"--is most likely not caused by picking up the pathogens we fear. Rather it is the result of not being exposed to the microbes that are key to maturing immunity".(236) Being exposed to certain microbes can help build up our immunity to stronger and more potent microbes/pathogens. If we spend our lives trying to hide from germs, the first chance that a germ/microbe gets to latch onto our immune system, we are kind of in a pickle. Our bodies would have no built up immunity to the germs which would result in sickness.
-Kytela Medearis

Unknown said...

This essay was extremely intriguing. As we all know, we are all conditioned from a young age to stay away from germs. Germs = bad. Hand santizer, hand washing, lysol wipes, abstaining from using public restrooms etc., are all ways people try to avoid germs. But Patel writes, "The devastating irony is that the rise of disease of inflammation in children-- often called "modern plagues"--is most likely not caused by picking up the pathogens we fear. Rather it is the result of not being exposed to the microbes that are key to maturing immunity".(236) Being exposed to certain microbes can help build up our immunity to stronger and more potent microbes/pathogens. If we spend our lives trying to hide from germs, the first chance that a germ/microbe gets to latch onto our immune system, we are kind of in a pickle. Our bodies would have no built up immunity to the germs which would result in sickness.
-Kytela Medearis

Alexis Acoff said...

I decided that microbes area a necessary part of daily life when I read page 233. Halfway on this page, the most convincing part was when the author described how early humans lived together in places that were not exactly considered germ-free, and before things such as anti-bacterial soaps. From my biology courses I have learned that the organisms that people usually see as pests or dangers and actually necessary for our environment.

Kelsey W said...

I think this is a good chapter for people to understand, because it is crazy to think that we could or even should live in a world free from germs. On page 237 it talks about babies and how they need to be introduced to germs at a very young age to develop a healthy immunity. I think a lot of new parents go to great lengths to keep their children healthy, but in doing so we should not keep kids in a bubble, because when they get out into the real world they will have nothing to protect them.

Unknown said...

“They suggest germs might actually help prevent children from developing various maladies” (237). After the several stories that were told in a row it just showed that being “too” clean when it comes to children just hurts them more than it helps them. We need exposure to some of those things so that our bodies learn how to fight them off. That doesn’t mean we need to expose them to extremely harmful diseases but common things like a cough or cold only make their immune system stronger and be keeping them from then you’re only making them weaker. It’s not healthy to never be sick and that’s the reality people need to face.

Peyton D. said...

As a nursing student, I have good knowledge on microbes. Without a doubt, we cannot live without microbes and all of them are not bad. Our body is made to co-exist with microbes and a germ-free environment is detrimental to most. On page 235, Patel described the International Space Station which is essentially sterile. After spending time living in this environment, the astronauts lose gut integrity and have impaired immune systems. This is one example that proves the importance of microbes to our well-being.

Unknown said...

I decided that microbes are a necessary part of everyday life when I first began to read Patel's article. On page 232 the text states, "By some measures, even we are more microbe than mammal. The trillions of microorganisms we harbor in our bodies, collectively known as our microbiome, outnumber human cells 10 to 1." I thought this statement was very powerful and it lead me to think about just how much microbiomes are in our bodies. It's interesting that we possess so many of them in our bodies, yet are still so afraid of them.

Tiera W.

Zaria Whitlock said...

I found it interesting that this topic is hardly ever talked about; however, when it is discussed a lot of people have opinions about it. A quote I found interesting was on page 237, "But he did grow up in an apartment that might have been too clean. According to one theory, environmental exposures contribute to our development after birth, and recent studies seem to back that up. They suggest germs might actually help prevent children from developing various maladies" (Patel p. 237). When I was younger it always bothered me that my parents would be so adamant about me being clean and being around germs unnecessarily and after reading this short essay I find that them being adamant while making since was not necessary at the level in which they acted upon it.

Marcus B. said...

Well, I definitely think that microbes are necessary for humans and the point for me in the article that helped me realize this would definitely have to be where the article states: “The devastating irony is that the rise of disease of inflammation in children-- often called "modern plagues"--is most likely not caused by picking up the pathogens we fear. Rather it is the result of not being exposed to the microbes that are key to maturing immunity” (236). They are obviously important if not being exposed to certain ones causes sickness and diseases. Not having those microbes in our bodies is crucial in being healthy, and definitely needs to be looked at as very necessary.

~ Marcus Barnes

Anonymous said...

I consider myself very hygienic and find this commitment to cleanliness is contributed to how I grew up and society's overall view and conception of "germs." After reading this excerpt, I find my perspective changing and I realize that microbes play a vital role in our lives. The quote that speaks volumes to this misunderstanding is found on page 231-232 when it states "wipe out of the natural balance of good bugs and you might not like the organisms that survive." It speaks to our unwillingness to think long-term and believe what the majority thinks even if it leaves us vulnerable to things we cannot imagine.
-Sandra Yokley

Donovan Washington said...

I believe that microbes are necessary for our survival because in high school I learned how the human body is filled with microbes that we need. After reading this article it helped me realize the importance of microbes in our lives even more. I realized this when the text stated, "In other words, we parted ways with the microbes that evolved with us. By redesigning our buildings, we redesigned ourselves" (233 Patel). Microbes are so important because they are instrumental in the way we humans evolve throughout time.

A. Robinson said...

i realized how important microbes are to our daily life on page 232 when Patel talks about how microbes make up 60% of Earth's biomass. Patel goes on to explain that we are full of microbes that help us do things like digest food. I have learned this in biology but it still amazes me that these "germs" or something we think of as unsanitary or alien and damaging to our bodies is actually very necessary and we couldn't live without it.
-Alexis Robinson

Anonymous said...

I decided germs were not all bad before reading the article, the article just solidified my thinking. Being exposed to germs at a young age helps build your immune system because your body has "practice" fighting off some virus'/germs. The statement, “The devastating irony is that the rise of disease of inflammation in children-- often called "modern plagues"--is most likely not caused by picking up the pathogens we fear. Rather it is the result of not being exposed to the microbes that are key to maturing immunity” (236) helped further proved this point.

Fiona Hill

Breanna Blackwell said...

With a strong science background, I became aware of the existence of beneficial microbes. Patel talks about how microbes make up 60% of Earth's biomass, mentionung we are full of microbes that help us do things--ex://digest food (page 232). I found the case of the "germ-free" mice very intriguing as I hadn't heard of it prior to reading the text. Without those microbes, organisms' bodies struggle to digest food. Also, the sort of good-guy-bad-guy microbial routine would be over, lending to more frequent illness. This was a really great read. It can really be an eye-opener for a lot of people afraid of the creepy-crawlies we can't even see.

Sydney O said...

"Eisen compares this practice to the overuse of antibiotics in medicine: Wipe out the natural balance of good bugs, and you might not like the organisms that survive" (231-232). Being a nursing student and having a better understanding about things like this make reading it and having a conversation about it makes it that much more interesting. There are already bugs that are multiple antibiotic resistance, and it can only get worse from here.

Unknown said...

The point where I decided microbes are a necessary part of everyday life was on pg.231-232. "Eisen compares this practice to the overuse of antibiotics in medicine: wipe out the natural balance of good bugs, and you might not like the organisms that survive." This passage reminded me of an article about good bacteria that helps break down certain foods in the digestive system. The yogurt aisle at the grocery store are full of yogurts containing probiotics. Those probiotics are bacteria that help people breakdown milk sugars.

Maya Searcy said...

I was convinced microbes were necessary when Patel said microbes make up 60% of Earth's biomass and how we are full of microbes that help us do things like digest food on page 232. This shows that we can never really escape microbes because they are everywhere. It also supports that microbes are necessary for life because they help us preform important bodily functions. In recent times we are conditioned to think germs are all bad and we have to avoid them as much as possible. However fro what Patel said we can never really avoid them because they surround us. Being exposed to germs is important because it helps build a immune system.

Unknown said...

As a child growing up, my mom made sure to teach me that not all germs and bacteria are bad. Some are a necessary part of life and can even aid in keeping us healthy. For example, we need contact with some germs just to develop immunity to certain sicknesses. On page 236, the article mentioned how a woman kept her baby from as many germs as possible and this still resulted in her baby becoming extremely sick. This just shows that all microbes are not harmful and some are essential to our survival.
-Carlie Bibbs

Unknown said...

So this article stood out to me in particular because I can be a tad germophobic. The author states, “the trillions of microorganisms we harbor in our bodies, collectively known as our microbiome, outnumber human cells 10 to 1” (Page 232). While I often like to believe that all germs are bad, that actually isn’t the case. As explained in Patel’s article, many of the germs are actually crucial to everyday life, from breathing to our digestive system. -Kathryn Hatches

Anonymous said...

This article showed me that microbes are important for our everyday life. Where I really saw this was when it was said that "Altogether, they weigh up to twice as much as the human brain, existing as a sort of sixth human super organ whose function is linked to digesting our meals, preventing infection, and possibly even influencing our emotions and moods."

-Marcus Underwood

Cheniya A. said...

After reading this article, I decided that microbes are an essential part of everyday life. Our entire lives, we are taught to fear germs and to do our best to eliminate them when possible. But here, it is apparent that these practices may not be the most correct.
Microbes do a lot for us, “The trillions of microorganisms we harbor in our bodies, collectively known as our microbiome, outnumber human cells 10 to 1… existing as a sort of sixth human super organ whose function is linked to digesting our meals, preventing infection, and possibly even influencing our emotions and moods” (Patel 232). And that is what should be taught - along with the the other harmful facts.

De'Abrion Joyner said...

After reading this article I decided early that microbes might be a necessary part of life. At the end of the first page and beginning of the second (231-232) the author writes that Eisen compares being too clean to the overuse of antibiotics and says “ wipe out the natural balance of good bugs, and you might not like the organisms that survive.” Which kind of stuck with me while I was reading this passage. It makes perfect sense though, these organisms survive for a reason and if they are gone that could bring changes that we won’t be able to prepare for because there is so little known about indoor microbes. I’m on the side of, “a little dirt can’t hurt.”

De’Abrion Joyner

Anonymous said...

I became aware of microbial benefits in an Immunology course I have taken. In the reading, "Eisen compares this practice to the overuse of antibiotics in medicine: Wipe out the natural balance of good bugs, and you might not like the organisms that survive" (231-232). We as humans are composed of microbes that help keep us alive through colonial antagonism – taking up the space that bad things may otherwise develop in. Shardai J-H

Anonymous said...

After reading this article, I decided that microbes are not a necessary part of everyday life because whether they are present or not, life goes on. Also, regardless of how they change, life goes on. “You can do as much cleaning as you want, ‘says Gilbert. ‘The hospital is a bloody sterile place, and a pathogen might still make you sick”(235). Lyric B.

Dakarai P. said...

Before, I knew microbes were a necessary part of everyday life, but after reading this article I think I have a new appreciation for them. On page 233, Eisen about germ-free mice and how being born and raised in sterile environments causes health problems like inflamed lungs and colons, issues with their immune system, and behavioral differences from other mice. This made me think about how one day humans could be experiencing the same issues from missing microbes and they were should learn to not be so afraid of "germs".

Tashawna N. said...

After reading the article, I decided that microbes are a necessary part of everyday life because of pg. 236 when it mentioned that a woman's child still became extremely sick even though the mother kept her child from as many germs as possible. I knew this before reading the passage but the reading only helped reinforce my opinions. Microbes, while some may be harmful, help expose us to new types so that our bodies may be able to fend them off in the future and help prevent serious illness.

~Tashawna N.

Unknown said...

I decided microbes were important after reading about the germ-free mice on page233."Delivered by cesarean section and raised in sterile chambers, these rodents have inflamed lungs and colons, like those seen in asthma and colitis. they're also prone to haywire immunity and weird social tics." If we were to be all germ-free would the same thing happen to us? How would our immunity system fight back if isn't strong enough because of never having to fight in the first place?