M09 Discussion: The Human Microbiome

“The Microbe Whisperers,” Washington State Magazine, Winter 2017 (Links to an external site.)

The Evolution of Microbes and the Human Microbiome

In this week’s Module you will learn about the evolution of microbes. Microbes have altered our environment in ways that have facilitated our survival by generating oxygen in photosynthesis and cooperating within eukaryotic cells as important organelles such as mitochondria and chloroplasts.  As you learned at the beginning of the semester, our bodies are made up of cells that cooperate as tissues, and tissues that cooperate as organs, organs that cooperate as organ systems such as the circulatory, nervous, and immune systems.  Microbes facilitate other important processes in the immune and digestive systems of our bodies as symbionts:  some that are beneficial and some that can be harmful.  Read the Human Microbiome Download Human Microbiomeand address the following questions in your initial post:

1. What did you learn about the Human Microbiome?
2. What surprised you and where in the document did you find the information? 
3. How does our relationship with microbes reflect principles of evolution?

Discussion Directions:

After you type your initial post by Wednesday evening at 11:59 pm, then read through the other entries and reply directly to at least two classmates by Friday evening at 11:59 pm. When you reply, ALWAYS type the name of the classmate you are responding to, and your name at the bottom of the message. Make sure to use professional grammar and punctuation in this college level course in all correspondence. Please avoid “text” or “twitter speak” when corresponding.

Summary: