What happens in the body after the microbes that produce illness are swallowed? Alice

Question: What happens in the body after the microbes that produce illness are swallowed? Alice

Asked by alicebryant to MarkF, Mark, Michael, Panos, Sarah on 21 Jun 2010 in Categories: Your Research.
- Panos Soultanas answered on 21 Jun 2010:
  
  Alice,
  
  Most of the times bad bacteria get killed in the stomach because the stomach is very acidic. Sometimes if too many bacteria get in the stomach some go through to the gut where they can multiply further and cause diseases.
- Mark Travis answered on 21 Jun 2010:
  
  Well, hopefully they are killed by the acidic environement in the stoimach…. if not, they can enter the intestines, where they can start to grow and potentially produce the toxins and things that make us feel ill (we can develop diaherra and sickness as a reaction). In very severe cases the bacteria could enter the bloodstream and we could develop very serious infections.
- Sarah Burl answered on 21 Jun 2010:
  
  Some will be destroyed in the stomach but others get through to the intestine and grow and produce toxins that can make you sick. Not all microbes are contracted through food though some are on the skin and some are transmitted by air through breathing them in.
- Michael Loughlin answered on 21 Jun 2010:
  
  well it depends..if we say that these are ones that successfuly cause illness in the intestines then they first have to get past the stomach..very acidic..
  Soem stick to food (E.coli) that protects them from the acid. Others produce their own antacid (ammonia) and burrow as fast as they can into safe parts of the stomach wall ( Helicobacter pylori) most just try and get through as quick as possi9ble until the get to the intesting where its much less acid
  
  in the intesting some will produce toxins to break down cells to release nutrients. Others will attac to cells and break there way ain again to cause release of nutrients and to hide from our immune system…
  
  not because they don’t like us just because we hide our nutrient incells and the bacteria want to try and get at that.
  
  if they get into the bloodstream this could atke them anywhere and thats where we get more serious condituions.
  
  if they cause loss of water the n after a few days they will have been washed out of us and down the loo
- Mark Fogg answered on 21 Jun 2010:
  
  HI Alice, good question.
  First thing, the bugs find a nice place to settle down and start growing, generally either in the stomach, if that’s their favourite place to be, or the intestines. The harsh mix of acid and enzymes in the stomach sees off many bugs. However, sheer numbers allow some bacteria to get through into the intestines that otherwise wouldn’t make it. Even before that though, many are destroyed by enzymes and other components in saliva.
  Once settled bacteria grow and divide and nothing much happens until population levels become critical and/or the bugs start to produce toxins. Different bugs present different signs of infection, but most include diarrohea, nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, high temperature, chills and any bug specific symptoms. In the case of Heliobacter pylori, bitter mouth taste, heartburn, regurgitation and ultimately you get stomach ulcers when they’re really settled into their new home.
  Whilst the bugs are settling in, the immune system is already working hard to get rid of them. Many of the symptoms are due to the body’s defences mobilising to fight the infection, hence vomiting. Antibodies are being mobilised, activating the white blood cells to ‘seek and destroy’ the bugs and, hopefully, continue to do so until the infection has been cleared. In some cases the immune system can be overrun or even invaded itself (anthrax likes the lymphatic system) and you need antibiotics to help out in a big way.
  I’m no expert immunologist, so maybe MarkT and Sarah can give you more/better detail, as they are.

Question: What happens in the body after the microbes that produce illness are swallowed? Alice

Comments