Flora of California

Saguaro cactus (Carnegiea gigantea) is one of the local columnar cactus of the very few that is found in Tucson, Arizona. These giant cactus can grow between 14 m to over 20 m while weighing over 3200 lbs. These cactus are heavy because of a desert adaptation which allows them to retain water by expanding its core. This allows the species to survive the extreme hot and dry summer conditions of the Sonoran Desert. However, this cactus doesn’t have high fitness in the cold conditions, so the cactus tend to freeze and possibly die in winter months. Even with environmental obstacles, the right conditions can allow these cacti can live over 200 years. Unlike most woody plants, with age they lack tree rings. Even without the tree rings researchers…

In outdoor exploration, sometimes failure can be a source of motivation. Throughout the course of our twenty-five-year friendship, we have experienced motivational challenges at both Eagle Peak and the nearby Hat Mountain, the high points of Modoc and Lassen Counties, respectively. The summit of Eagle Mountain, called Eagle Peak, is, at 9,896 feet, the undisputed high-point of thinly-populated Modoc County as well as the highest point in the South Warner Wilderness. Modoc County, located on…

If you are planning a move to Southern California, you may want to consider Arcadia, CA. While Arcadia is eclipsed in population by several Los Angeles County cities including Los Angeles and Pasadena, Arcadia has a variety of entertainment opportunities for residents and visitors alike to enjoy. Santa Anita Park If you like horse racing, Santa Anita Park is a place you will not want to miss. Whether you want to bet on the races or you just want to experience a race, Santa Anita Park is a great…

Normal flora compete with pathogens for microenvironments (Singh and Kapoor 65). Microbial richness is often an indicator of health, with health adults having a vast, richness of bacterial/microbial diversity where as reduced bacterial diversity have been linked to obesity, immune-related, and inflammatory diseases. These benefits include polysaccharide digestion, immune system development, defense against infections, synthesis of vitamins, fat storage, angiogenesis regulation, and behavior…

with pathogens. Commensal microbiota competes with invading pathogens for space and food to make it difficult for them to establish. A technique used to determine the function of commensal microbiota on the immune system Gnotobiosis. Gnotobiosis are organisms that are germ free (GF) because they contain absolutely no microbiota and have compromised immune systems. A model organism for this technique is the mouse. For example, GF mice have underdeveloped Peyer’s patches, spleen and lymph nodes…

Lactobacillus is the most commonly used bacterial species (Swyers et al. 2008). A study conducted by Al Jassim et al. recorded that several species of Lactobacillus were located throughout the equine gastrointestinal tract. This concludes that these microbes have the ability to adapt to pH changes and survive in different environments. L. mucosae and L. salivarius were found to be the most abundant. L. salivarius, specifically, was cultured from the stomach, colon, and rectum, suggesting its…

The set of bacteria living in the gut it is called intestinal flora although it is now called intestinal microbiota, the human intestinal tract is home to a diverse and complex microbial community that plays a central role in human health, it is estimated that our gut contains the range of 1000 bacterial species and 100 times more genes found in the human genome The composition of our intestinal flora is formed during embryonic development and can be modified by factors such as diet of pregnant…

The variability of the human gut microbiome and its effect on health Abstract The human gut microbiome consists of a wide range of microbes such as bacteria, fungi and archaea which can be found in the gastrointestinal tract. This gut microbiome can have both beneficial and harmful effects on the host. On one hand, it is involved in processes such as modulation of the immune system and metabolism which are beneficial for the human host. On the other hand, an imbalance in the gut microbiome…

A new area of interest that is rising to the top of everyone’s research list is the concept that the gut microbiota communicates with the brain and other organs in the body. Studies have shown that he gut and the central nervous system (CNS) are closely linked and play a role in maintaining homeostasis (Cryan and O’Mahony, 2011). Any changes that decrease the “good” bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract can cause diseases to neuroendocrine and immune system (Cryan and O’Mahony, 2011). Stress is…

Role of gut microbiota in therapeutic effect of metabolic disorder Diet has been known to regulate the component of intestinal microbes in animal and human subjects. Many trials tried to find out the interaction between the gut microbiota and its host metabolism. They attempted to modulate the dietary to alter different kinds of classical probiotics such as Lactobacillus and Bifobacterium strains and prebiotic for helping to explore the role of gut microbiota in therapeutic effects of metabolic…