Bacteria,space, earth and people...

[Darkpassenger]

I have a few questions about a hypothetical situation I came up with. So if anyone can help answer any of theses questions or put there 2 cents in that would be great. I don’t know enough about all the fields of science that I will be going through so if I am way off about anything please correct me.

 

OK, here is the hypothetical situation; science has finally gotten us to the point where we can colonize other planets and moons. A human is born in a laboratory through test tube processes and the fertilized egg was grown in an artificial whom. The child grows up in a completely sterilized environment and only eats sterilized food and water that is cultivated on that planet/moon only. Now lets say food and water become scarce and they need to return to earth. The child was given all necessary shoots and vaccines at birth so that if it were to have to return to earth, it would not be variable to diseases or viruses.

 

Here is where my questions come in, when the person returns to earth for the first time will there body be able to adapt to the all the different bacteria’s live amongst us and in/on our body’s? Since we rely on many bacteria’s that coexist with us every day and help us in many ways such as, digestion, fighting off harmful bacteria, keeping ourselves clean and many other ways, how would theses bacteria’s affect this person? Would this person’s body simply attack all bacteria and not let any in/on the body or would the bacteria overwhelm the body and make the person sick/die? Would that person not be able to eat/drink any foods due to the bacteria’s that exists in and on all foods and drink? Or would this person have to continue to eat/drink sterilized food and drink and slowly be subjected to bacteria’s in order to be able to adapt to our bacteria’s and if so is this even possible?

 

Any questions that you can help answer, feedback or light scrutiny would be greatly appreciated. I know this seems a little far-fetched but; there is no limit to the possibilities that we can imagine or might arise.

[Psycho]

They would just die unless kept in a sterile environment, the immune system develops against pathogens during early life and if it doesn't develop sufficiently by this point it won't, this is thought to be one of the reason why allergies are increasing.

Original a babies gastrointestinal tract has no bacteria in it, however they gain entry through food and help not only to protect a person as they have a niche in that environment that other bacteria won't be able to compete with but also help to break down food into its constituents, most prominently in the colon. Furthermore many bacteria found on the skin would be of grave risk to the person if they became injured and they would most likely be allergic to many substances such a pollen.

 

I would think there symptoms would be similar to someone who suffers from AIDS, however they wouldn't get worse with time, but I would doubt they would get much better either.

[CharonY]

Essentially the survival chance are probably low due to mainly two reasons. 1st, the immune system has not been exposed to a variety of bacteria and thus is more susceptible to potential pathogens (vaccines available are only against a select few). 2nd, due to lack of colonization potentially harmful and even normally harmless bacteria can settle with more competitively than on persons who have a more or less equilibrated flora on them. Thus there is a chance of harmful settlement or proliferation of pathogenic or opportunistic pathogenic bacteria. And actually this is probably the wrong subforum. I will move it to the appropriate one.

[GDG]

Our resident bacteria (and other microbes) provide a number of benefits, not all of which are digestive. There is some current research that suggests that our resident flora helps to regulate our immune system, and that absence of the right types of bacteria can lead to pathological inflammation.

 

As for introducing an aseptic human back into the real world, I don't think the experiment has been done yet. Might be possible to colonize the person with appropriate flora, bit by bit, but there would be a real risk that the subject would never become tolerant of the necessary microbes.

 

You might be interested in the book "Good Germs, Bad Germs" by Jessica Snyder Sachs.

[Darkpassenger]

Thank you all for wright in with your great insight and Helpful information. I never thought about the implications that allergies would have on someone returning to earth too. O and i will check out that book, thanks GDG looking forward to it.

[CharonY]

While afaik there are no reports on sterile humans there are studies on the development of the intestinal flora. In fact, the fetal gut is sterile but is getting colonized during development. In other words, in a somewhat controlled environment a beneficial colonization is possible and, in fact, a normal process in child development.

[GDG]

While afaik there are no reports on sterile humans there are studies on the development of the intestinal flora. In fact, the fetal gut is sterile but is getting colonized during development. In other words, in a somewhat controlled environment a beneficial colonization is possible and, in fact, a normal process in child development.

 

In "Good Germs, Bad Germs", the author mentions a theory that the proximity between birth canal and anus virtually guarantees that a baby will be innoculated during the birth process (see at p. 53). Searching Google Books for "Good Germs, Bad Germs, birth canal" should start you around p. 34, which begins the section(s) on colonization of newborns.

[CharonY]

Yes indeed. Interestingly the further exposures strongly shape the following colonization events in neonates. E.g. preterm babies often undergo additional treatment in the hospital and tend to get a different flora than other neonates during the same period at home. I think the flora is subject to relatively rapid changes over the first year until a more stable community is settled in.

[Darkpassenger]

I also have another scenario like the one above that I would like to throw out there, if you guys would like to comment on. Lets say we become a space fairing planet and we colonize the moon. What kind biological effects would there be on a person that was born on the moon and lived on/in a space station for several years and then moved off the space station to the Earth? Although in this scenario this person lived a normal life in a non-sterile environment and was exposed only to what flora the fist settlers brought with them from earth. Would that person be able to cope with the new environment on earth? Or would they have many of the same problems as the sterile person and likely die or get very sick? In what ways would they have trouble adapting to this new environment?

[cameron marical]

I also have another scenario like the one above that I would like to throw out there, if you guys would like to comment on. Lets say we become a space fairing planet and we colonize the moon. What kind biological effects would there be on a person that was born on the moon and lived on/in a space station for several years and then moved off the space station to the Earth? Although in this scenario this person lived a normal life in a non-sterile environment and was exposed only to what flora the fist settlers brought with them from earth. Would that person be able to cope with the new environment on earth? Or would they have many of the same problems as the sterile person and likely die or get very sick? In what ways would they have trouble adapting to this new environment?

 

The gravity difference would be insurmountable for the person, if they were born in space {wich is still not a positive that humans can be born if space} then they would have a much weaker heart, less dense bones, less muscle mass, though the upside would be that they would have less wrinkles once older, be taller, and not have any sagging exterior anatomy parts either. The downside, you would probably die if you ever went to Earth, or at least gravely crippled.

[GDG]

I also have another scenario like the one above that I would like to throw out there, if you guys would like to comment on. Lets say we become a space fairing planet and we colonize the moon. What kind biological effects would there be on a person that was born on the moon and lived on/in a space station for several years and then moved off the space station to the Earth? Although in this scenario this person lived a normal life in a non-sterile environment and was exposed only to what flora the fist settlers brought with them from earth. Would that person be able to cope with the new environment on earth? Or would they have many of the same problems as the sterile person and likely die or get very sick? In what ways would they have trouble adapting to this new environment?

 

Well, all depends. Presumably, there is a constant exchange between station, Moon, and Earth, for trade and services, if nothing else. Given that, you would have periodic exposure to terrestrial microbes, and (hopefully) therefore would not lose all resistance to them. Depending on the degree of interaction, the immunological effect would probably be just like visiting a foreign country.

 

Gravity could be a problem. However, again, there are ways to compensate. I would assume that people would undertake vigorous exercise (perhaps in a centrifuge) for some time in order to prepare for a trip to Earth.

[Darkpassenger]

Thank you both for replying to my new topic i really appreciate you giving your input and fueling my vehicle for knowledge.