alleryStart learning →Commensal bacteria on the skin and in the gut benefit their human host in which way?
AThey replace the need for any vaccines
BThey dissolve the lining of the intestine
CThey stop all antibiotics from working
DThey produce vitamins and aid digestion
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: D. They produce vitamins and aid digestion
1. Commensal bacteria inhabit human skin and the gastrointestinal tract.
2. They protect against pathogens, help digest food, and produce some vitamins and other nutrients.
3. Evidence also suggests they influence mood, activity levels and weight.
4. Damaging the intestinal lining is what a pathogen does, not a commensal.
_Source: OpenStax Biology (1st ed., CC BY 4.0), Ch 22 "Prokaryotes: Bacteria and Archaea", section 22.5 Beneficial Prokaryotes_
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