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Nasopharyngeal Colonization

Nasopharyngeal colonization is when germs settle and grow in the back of your nose and throat.

Think of it this way

Bread crumbs settle into the grooves of a cutting board and stay there. Your nose and throat have tiny ridges and pockets that act like those grooves. Germs land in those spots and start to grow, like mold dots on old crumbs. They take up space and make the area their home.

Explaining nasopharyngeal colonization by grade level

Tiny germs can live in the back of your nose. Most of the time, they do not make you sick. But if you catch a cold, those germs can spread. They might move to your ears and cause an ear infection.

Projects that explore nasopharyngeal colonization

Influenza A and Ear Infection Pathways

Nasopharyngeal colonization — when germs settle and grow in the back of your nose and throat — plays a central role in this experiment. Researchers gave chinchillas influenza A virus, then introduced Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria seven days later to track how the bacteria colonize the nasopharynx (the area where the nose and throat meet) and invade the middle ear. The prior flu infection altered how effectively the bacteria established themselves, demonstrating that one infection can create conditions that help a second pathogen take hold.

Hard