Many non-infectious diseases can be influenced by micro-organisms. This includes most intestinal and diseases of the gut such as Chron’s disease due to the massive influence of the gut-microbiome on the body. Allergies and asthmas may also be influenced by certain commensal microbes on any border site, but specifically the gut and skin. In addition, there is an association between the human microbiome and mental health diseases such as depression and anxiety.
Looking back at Writing Exercise #1 the main difference that I notice between then and now is that I had chosen very specific diseases that I thought might have a correlation. I have learned that there is a vast majority of non-infectious diseases associated with microorganisms, including mental illness. One of the biggest take-aways I have from this class is how important it is to take care of our gut-microbiome. Between the gut-brain axis and microbes’ role in allergies and disorders of the gut, it plays a massive role in our health.
