Posted: September 8th, 2022

Relationship between Bacteria and Host

The presence of microbes in a host is not always synonymous with infections

Write an essay describing the different kinds of relationships that bacteria may establish with their host.
Guidelines:

Use APA guidelines for proper citations.
Essay’s minimum words: 500

Relationship between Bacteria and Host
Introduction
The relationship between bacteria and host are commonly synonymous with illness. Different types of relationships occur without posing a risk of illness to the host organism. Organisms can survive in other animals eating secretions or parasites that attack the host. The different types of relationships include mutualism, competition, and commensalism. The purpose of the essay is to examine the different relationships between bacteria and hosts without causing the risk of illness.
Microbial Relationships
Microbes can sustain themselves in a host without causing infections. A host-microbe relationship involves a microbe that exploits the cells of the host for survival. The relationship is critical in understanding the treatment and prevention of diseases (Laflamme et al., 2020). Interaction between a host and a microbe without causing the risk of infection is called a symbiotic relationship. The different types of relationships include mutualism, competition, and commensalism (Rizzoli et al., 2019). An examination of the different types of relationships shows that bacteria and host animals can live together without any risk of infection.
Mutualism is the first type of relationship between bacteria and the host. The relationship involves benefits to both the bacteria and the host. One of the best examples is the existence of bacteria in the rumen (Rizzoli et al., 2019). Cows benefit from the bacteria in the rumen since they improve digestion, provide a source of protein, and improve capacity to digest forage. For instance, cows benefit from microbes in the rumen since they convert food components incadto usable sources of energy (Abreu et al., 2020). The bacteria benefit from the nutrients in the rumen. The microbes exist in the rumen in the lifetime of a cow without causing any harm.
Commensalism is another type of relationship between microbes and hosts. The relationship involves benefits to the microbe without affecting the host. For instance, microbes can survive on the secretions and dead cells of the host animal (Abreu et al., 2020). One of the best examples of commensalism is the shark and remora relationship. Remora fish feeds on the scraps of prey dropped by the fish and parasites on the skin and mouth. Remora fish survives due to the relationship without causing any harm to the host. In human beings, Malassezia furfur and Candida albicans can be found on the skin of individuals without causing harm (Rizzoli et al., 2019). It is unlike relationships that result in the sucking of blood leaving an animal emaciated or causing sickness.
The third relationship between bacteria and the host is competition. Competition occurs when two organisms are placed in the same environment and are competing for the same resources for survival. Some of the resources include carbon, nitrogen, vitamins, and phosphorus (Rizzoli et al., 2019). The competition for the growth factors can occur without causing harm to the two organisms or plants. For instance, Paramecium caudatum and Paramecium Aurelia compete for the same bacteria when they are placed in the same environment (Rizzoli et al., 2019). Stiff competition affects both organisms, especially due to the scarcity of resources.
Conclusion
Interaction between a host and a microbe without causing the risk of infection is called a symbiotic relationship. Microbes survive on secretions or dead parts of the host such as skin or use the host as a platform for growth and multiplication. The essay explores mutualism, competition, and commensalism. The different types of bacteria and host relationships demonstrate that bacteria in a host is not synonymous with infection. An examination of the relationship between bacteria and host is essential in understanding the treatment and prevention of illness.

References
Abreu, R., Giri, P., & Quinn, F. (2020). Host-pathogen interaction as a novel target for host-directed therapies in tuberculosis. Frontiers in immunology, 11, 1553.
Laflamme, B., Dillon, M. M., Martel, A., Almeida, R. N., Desveaux, D., & Guttman, D. S. (2020). The pan-genome effector-triggered immunity landscape of a host-pathogen interaction. Science, 367(6479), 763-768.
Rizzoli, A., Tagliapietra, V., Cagnacci, F., Marini, G., Arnoldi, D., Rosso, F., & Rosà, R. (2019). Parasites and wildlife in a changing world: The vector-host-pathogen interaction as a learning case. International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife, 9, 394-401.

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