Microbial Ecology of the Human Skin

From a microbial viewpoint the human skin must constitute a poor environment on which to live and reproduce. It is subject to periodic flooding followed by comparatively long periods of drought, it may be exposed to UV light in sunshine, its nutrient exudates may also contain toxic substances, and there may be “pollution” in the form of specific antibacterial compounds, perfumes, or heavy metals derived from other environmental sources. Finally, the physical environment is in a continual state of erosion. Yet almost the whole skin surface is colonized by microorganisms, sometimes in large numbers.